


Big Bow Blossom

by quackleeee



Category: Powerpuff Girls
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-13
Updated: 2020-06-15
Packaged: 2020-08-20 14:28:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 36,245
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20229373
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/quackleeee/pseuds/quackleeee
Summary: The life of a middle schooler sure isn't easy, but Blossom Utonium always has everything handled... Except for the fact that she's stuck tutoring her worst enemy ever AND getting blamed for mysterious crimes going around in school. Curse that big bow of hers; anybody can rock it easily.





	1. The Start of it All

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Normal...

_Dear diary,_

_You know, for something that's done typically by a good amount of females my age, writing this is... hard. In my opinion, it's one thing to say these things out loud, but trying to incorporate my words into writing is a completely different ballpark. I want to say a lot, but my hand doesn't want to write that much. It's all very confusing. I'm not sure where I should even start with this thing. _

_Hm. I suppose a self-introduction wouldn't be too bad. Then, we'll move on from there. _

_My name is Blossom Utonium, and I'm a normal teenage girl. Sure, I have superpowers—my sisters Bubbles and Buttercup do as well—and okay, I don't have any fingers or toes, but still. My whole life has been filled with so many different creatures and monsters, it would take about three novels to describe them all. And even then, I wouldn't be able to fit every single little thing about them in there! It's a little overwhelming, but mostly fascinating. My sisters and I have been on countless adventures together, and I can't wait for more with them._

_Despite all the unusual things I stated above, life has been completely normal for me. I get upset, happy, tired, angry, the bothersome insecurities—the list goes on. When I'm not saving the day, I'm doing regular things, like staying up late at night, writing in my diary. (Yes, this is precisely what I'm doing now.)_

_Actually, the first day of school is tomorrow. I can't help but look a little bit forward to it. Pokey Oaks Junior High School is both simple and a bit stereotypical, but I'm used to it. There have been countless times where others call me a 'nerd" and "smart ass," which... not to toot my own horn, but I _am _a really smart person. I'm so smart that I notice that being smart nowadays isn't really a good thing according to my peers, though. In fact, it made me a grade-A loser._

_Bubbles is far from being a loser. Practically everybody loves her, from her bright smile to her positive look at life. Last school year, not only was she the lead in the spring play, which sold out on tickets the moment it was announced she was, but she was also named the prettiest girl in our class. Even the meanest people out there find themselves wrapped around Bubbles's (metaphorical) finger. When you see her, you just can't look away. Bubbles just had a way of drawing in a crowd. _

_The word 'loser' doesn't fit Buttercup, either. I'll admit, her behavior in school isn't the best, but I can see her trying to calm down so she can do what she loves: playing sports. She makes sure not to use any powers so she doesn't have an advantage, but even then she's good. The more games she plays, the better she gets and the more fans she receives. Every game we go to, I notice the signs in the stands, the majority being dedicated to Buttercup and her amazing skills. _

_Then there's me. Extracurricular-wise, I don't do much, just tutoring on the side when a teacher asks me to. I have so much free time, it's a bit ridiculous. I'd join clubs like the Mathletes, but I tried to in the past and it didn't work well. At all. Long story short, according to the teacher officials of these clubs, I'm too smart for them, and that's not fair to the other teams nor my peers. I get it, I really do, but still, it sucks. The rest of the clubs just don't interest me enough to even try them out. So, for most days, I'm stuck going home alone after school. _

_Am I jealous of my sisters? Honestly, yes. And it makes me feel so ashamed to feel that way. I'm sure they look up to me just as much as I look up to them, and they'd be quick to tell me that I'm anything other than a loser. A part of me even believes that I'm more than what other people say about me. But when I'm walking down the hallway with Bubbles on my right and Buttercup on my left, all I can see is all our peers waving at them... and ignoring me completely. _

_It... hurts a little. _

_In battle, I'm Blossom Utonium, fearless leader of The Powerpuff Girls, one of three saviors of the city of Townsville. Outside of that, though, is just regular 'ol me, big red bow and all. I'm nothing special. _

_I'm just normal. But as boring as that sounds, I think that's okay. I've made it this far being ordinary in a school setting; what's another year going to do to me, right?_

_Anyway, I should get going. This got way more sad than I could have ever imagined, but a diary is for one's truest emotions. I suppose I should get used to it being like this, huh?_

_Here's to another normal school year,_  
_Blossom Utonium  
_

* * *

I let out a sigh, closing the pink diary in front of me. The cover looks like a unicorn puked silver and gold glitter all over it, and the stickers that spell out 'BLOSSOM' are extremely crooked, but I still smile at it. I love this monstrosity so much, I can feel my heart swelling just by giving it a look-over.

For our birthday, my sisters and I made it a habit to make original gifts for each other. Professor gave us the idea to, and we haven't stopped since. This year, Bubbles and Buttercup surprisingly worked together and made me my own diary. Something about me talking to myself too much, and writing in my own diary would be way less annoying than me whispering who knows what to myself when everyone wanted to sleep. Hurtful, but honestly, that's fair.

I glance to look at the clock and silently curse to myself. It's way past midnight, and from the sounds of snoring, I can tell that both Bubbles and Buttercup are fast asleep. I used to be so responsible with bedtimes when I was younger, but nowadays, I find my thoughts keeping me awake, and more of them tended to be bad than good. Luckily, this diary is here so I don't have to wake my sisters up in the process.

I take a look at the diary again. The entry I wrote today... A part of myself cringes at it another part stares at my soul in pity. The good news is that this a very healthy way to vent, and I do feel better after doing it. The bad news, though, is that I don't know what situations I'm going to go through to fill the thing up. Some will be good, sure, but there's always something bad floating in the air, and bad things have a way of chucking their entire being at me.

And the worst part is that there's no way I'll be able to see in the future to prepare myself for what's to come.

I shake my head. _'No,'_ I think to myself, _'That's just life, Blossom, and _literally_ everyone goes through it. No need to dwell on the inevitable.'_

Easier said than done, me. Still, I manage to clear my mind enough to turn off my desk lamp, hide my diary underneath the many books neatly lying on the desk, and tiptoe to climb in my bed. The bed creaks a little, but luckily, it isn't loud enough to wake up my sisters lying in their own beds. I close my eyes, trying to uplift myself with one thought that refused to leave my mind.

_'Everything will be _fine,_ because this year is going to be as normal as the last._'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Alright. It's been... two years, wow. I haven't even glanced at this story since I've been gone. But third time on the revamp is the charm, right? Ahahaha...
> 
> In all seriousness, I'll try my hardest to finish this. Unlike before, I actually have a plot all planned out, which makes writing this ten times easier! I'm aiming to be complete with this towards Summer or Fall of 2020 to give myself time. Balancing college and outside writing is tough, so please bear with me!
> 
> Lastly, thank you for reading if you did! I hope you're looking forward to the next chapter! :)


	2. Hit by a Brick

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bricks hurt when they hit you :(

** Chapter 2: Hit by a Brick **

_Dear diary,_

_Remember how I wrote that this school year was going to be normal literally a day ago? Yeah, well, about that... I think I'm gonna have to take those words back. Scratch that, _will_ take those words back._

_Today, I learned that this school year is going to be anything _but _normal for me. Even now, I'm still in shock about what I'm going to have to deal with. It's so... unfair! I know that deep down, I was hoping things would be a tad bit different for me, but this is whole other level of "different." _

_And to be honest, I'm not sure that I'll be able to handle it. _

_I suppose I should go more in depth. Let me start from the beginning of all of this mess..._

* * *

"Hey, Bloss!" I hear Buttercup call to me as I get off the school bus.

After I position my bow back to the middle of my head and shrug my bookbag completely over my shoulders, I head over to my sisters, avoiding the other students who excitedly run to hug and catch up with their friends. "Buttercup, Bubbles!" I smile in greeting. "I guess you guys beat me to school today, heh."

Buttercup laughs as if what I said was obvious. "Well of course we did! When don't we, right?" She playfully nudges my side. "Why don't ya, like, fly to school with us anyway?"

"Yeah!" Bubbles agrees, eyeing me curiously. "It's much quicker that way; you know that. It gives us extra time to get ready, too! And the bus is... Well, it's not that great, really."

"I just like the journey a school bus brings me," I reply simply. "That's all." Technically, this isn't a _complete _lie. Even though the school bus was extremely loud on all occasions and the one boy who sat behind me today kept picking with my bow for whatever reason, I enjoyed the ride. It's something about leaning back against a slightly uncomfortable seat while staring outside the window watching the city zoom by that feels a bit better than just simply flying. It was almost therapeutic.

Getting on the bus also ensured that I got up earlier than what I would have liked. It was a routine that I didn't want to break, especially because I never get enough sleep nowadays. I'm sure that if I were to do what Bubbles and Buttercup did every morning, which was get up at the last minute and rush to get ready, I would be all over the place. It's got to be a skill to be able to prepare for a whole school day just like that. Picking an appropriate outfit that fits both the weather and my anticipated mood-of-the-day takes fifteen minutes alone; there'd be no way I could get done in an hour like they do!

"Eh, your loss, sis." Buttercup shrugs then releases a sigh once her emerald green eyes look at the school. "Ugh, let's get this over with..." she groans, shaking her head.

"No, let's get this _started!_" With a sunny, optimistic smile, Bubbles hooks onto one of my arms, and naturally, Buttercup hooks onto my other arm. I really like that my sisters and I are close enough to still link arms, even if nowadays it was for a shorter period of time. We were all growing up and slowly beginning to separate, but at the end of the day, our relationship stayed stronger than anything. "C'mon Buttercup, we finally made it to the eighth grade! We're almost at high school! Isn't that exciting?" Bubbles asks, glancing at Buttercup.

"Yeah, as exciting as watching paint dry." Buttercup rolls her eyes and frowns.

We walk inside the school, and like always, I hear people greet my sisters. I get a small "hey" at some times, but not nearly as much as Bubbles and Buttercup. Pity hellos... I try not to think too much on it.

"We're still treated like we're complete babies. Look!" Buttercup gestures to the teachers standing on the sides of the hallway. They were all holding up signs that pointed out where we were intended to go: the school auditorium. The first day of school was always greeted with a speech before we were directed to our class for the school year. "What do they think we are, stupid? Everyone knows that every student at Pokey Oaks has been here since... well, ever since! We don't need no signs to guide us!" With a huff, Buttercup unlinks our arms, crossing her own over her chest.

I look up, thinking for a bit before responding. "Buttercup, you never know. We might have new students this year in our class! The teachers are just here to help us out, so let's not give them a hard time, okay?" My brain swirls with a thought. "Also you used two negatives in that last sentence; it's supposed to be 'we don't need _any_ signs to guide us,'" I couldn't help but correct. Buttercup always hated when I called her out on her grammar, but I couldn't help it. Doing that was like second nature for me at this point.

"Pfft, that's a strong might. 'Sup Mitch!" Buttercup waves at Mitch, who was a few steps ahead of us. He waves back just as excitedly. If there was one rocky friendship that would never break, it was theirs. They were terrible influences on each other, but there were times where they brought the good out of one another. "And we ain't in class yet; I get to say what I want 'til the bell rings," she retorts.

Like always, Bubbles giggles. She always found the arguments Buttercup and I had to be slightly funny, especially because we were never too serious. "You guys are always silly! I think that—oh, hey Robin!" Bubbles unlinks her arms from mine and starts to skip ahead towards Robin, who's smiling just as wide as she is. Robin still comes over to hang out with all three of us sometimes, but she and Bubbles spent the most time together. The matching bracelets they wore every single day just screamed best friends for life. Their friendship is so beautiful; I can only hope to have one like that someday. "I'll see you girls later, ok? I'm gonna sit with Robin in the auditorium!" Bubbles exclaims, then turns her attention to Robin.

"Yup, see you guys at home!" Buttercup replies, speeding over to give Mitch a teasing punch on the shoulder. From the distance, I can hear them laugh, but about what, I don't know0.

"Bye..." I smile and wave, watching them move away, but as soon as my sisters are far enough, I let out a sigh. As usual, the amount of greetings I receive without them by my side decrease tremendously. As usual, various groups of friends chat happily around me. And as usual, I'm all alone. Figures. I don't know why, but I still have this hope that maybe, just maybe, this school year will be different—

"LOOK OUT!"

Before I knew it, I was knocked down onto the cold marble floor. A perfect addition to my self-wallowing if I do say so myself. Great.

With a slight groan in pain, I look at my attacker. He looks my age, maybe a little younger, but possibly a bit taller if we stand up. He was looking for something on the floor, muttering something along the lines of, "s_tupid little brothers._" His head is down all the way as he searches frantically, and his long orange hair blocks his facial features completely from my view.

I quickly spot a red cap on the floor. It looks like it's been through some damage, but then again, my bow doesn't always look as good as it did now. Picking up the hat, I ask, "Um, is this yours...?"

He looks up, showing his deep red eyes. They actually look _really _nice in the current school lighting, almost a bit unreal—wait a minute.

_Deep red eyes?_

There's only one boy in this entire world that I know who has the exact color of eyes this boy has... Unless some sort of mutation occurred to make some regular human have them, or there's some other creature I don't know yet who has them. But the chances of that were as slim as this conversation ending well.

"_Rowdyruff,_" I spit out in disgust. Saying that word alone leaves a bitter taste in my mouth.

Brick narrows his eyes at me and wiggles his nose. Heh, he's probably concentrating and trying to remember me. We haven't fought in a while, have we? Hm...

After a while of silence between us, he clasps his hands together and nods his head. "Ah, Pinky, it's really you! Ain't the time I wanted to surprise ya, but eh, fate I guess." His eyes squint as he holds in a laugh. "Wow, ya actually changed a lot. Ain't that ugly anymore, are ya?" He stands up, then offers his hand to me.

I'd rather get another embarrassing haircut by my sisters _blindfolded _than accept help from a Rowdyruff, and my pride is too high at the moment. So, I stand up on my own, brushing myself off. He was probably going to prank me anyway. I might represent "everything nice," but there was no way I was going to give Brick the opportunity to receive any kindness he didn't deserve.

"I was never ugly 'Ruff! Now what are you doing here on school property? Trying to _destroy us_ again? Because you and I both know it won't work!" I place my hands on my hips and stare him down.

It was hard trying to wrap around the fact that Brick, a Rowdyryff Boy, was here... early in the morning... in a school setting... surrounded by all these innocent civilians... his two brothers not around him... and somehow, he wasn't doing anything destructive yet. Just what in the world is going on?

Brick lets out a huff, then snatches the red cap that was still in my hands to place it on his head. As much as I dislike him, I can't lie that his hat completes his look. "Babe, it's Brick, not 'Ruff or whatever, k? Brih-kah." He says his name slowly, as if I didn't know how to pronounce an item used for building houses. Funny. "I respect your name, so ya gotta respect mine." Also funny.

"But Pinky isn't my real name!" I argue. Doesn't he know that?

"Sure it is! What, is it, like, Blossom or somethin'? That'd be really lame." Okay, he _definitely_ knows that.

"YES! You're doing this on purpose—"

"Psh, for a Powdapuff Girl, ya sure do know how to lie a lot." He _tsks_ and shakes his head, looking disappointed. "And don't I get a 'Hey, how have ya been since the last time we fought'? Rude."

"I asked you a question earlier about why you're here; now answer it," I reply back, not really in the mood to deal with his ridiculous questions and teasing.

"Wow, cold." Brick shivers slightly as if some sort of chilled wind blew straight through him. I roll my eyes at that. "Anyway, the bros and I are just gettin' a e-ed...u...ca...tion." He said the word education so slowly, I could've ran around the world without my powers. Twice. He had wiggled his nose as he spoke. "Ya know, like other people 'round here? Duh."

"Yeah_, sure." _Somehow, I could taste the sarcasm that was dripping from my mouth. My eyes look up at the clock. There's five minutes until the assembly begins, and in my head, I'm already late. "Just cut to the chase Jojo; I don't have all day," I say impatiently.

"I'm serious Blossy!"

"Don't call me that."

"Too late Blossy. Also, no offense to me and the bros, but we're possibly the stuppidest boys here in Townville." Oh yes, his grammar tells it all. "So, this school seemed to be the place to gain smartness! I noticed while observing, well, you," he continues with a slight shrug.

I couldn't help but let out a laugh. "Wait, you were stalking me?" I don't know why, but the thought of Brick keeping his eye on me without me knowing was more hilarious than it was creepy. "Weird... but cute that you're so inspired by me, your enemy. You could've just asked me about my brilliance, you know. You didn't even try to beat the information out of me! Are you growing soft?"

"N-No! I wasn't stalkin' ya, I definitely ain't inspired by ya, and I will never be soft! That makes it sound like I have a gross crush on ya, and I don't need those stinkin' cooties again!" Brick looks so grossed out, any other person who happens to see his face might think he ate the world's most disgusting dish, which is most definitely shrimp (seriously, it has never been good as a food). "Anyway, we can beat ya stupid Puffballs for good and take over the world once me and my bros get this school thing down pack. Nothin' too hard really."

I was about to tell him that A). you can't go to school to gain strength or strategic thinking, and B). it wasn't very smart of him to tell me his plan right off the bat. But then I just shrug it off. Might as well let him live in a delusion. Besides, I don't want to be late.

"Whatever," I sigh out. Clutching onto my book bag, I continue walking to the auditorium. "Just don't do anything terrible here, got it?"

Brick walks up to my side and gently pats my head. "Mmm, yeah, 'bout that... I ain't makin' no promises, babe." And with an evil chuckle, he walks ahead of me, his hands in his pockets.

And as he left me there to walk alone again, I couldn't help but grow the same scowl Buttercup wore on her face entering the school.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N Alright, I think I got a great system. I'll try to add a new chapter at least once every two months or something! That way, I have enough time to write all these out. I'm updating early because I need to get used to my school schedule; college is very hectic and junior year is not giving me the balance I need yet. Plus the idea for this chapter has been done for six years so it's really easy to write-
> 
> Also, thank you very much for the hits a bookmark! I'm just as excited to see where this goes as you guys are. I hope you all look forward to the next chapter! Until next time :)


	3. Karma

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When karma bites, it hurts.

**Chapter 3: Karma**

_So yeah. Brick Jojo is in my school. Actually, the whole Rowdyruff Boy crew is in the school. And they're planning to be students for the whole entire school year._

_Amazing._

_Like, imagine all the trouble that's going to happen around here now!_

_The boys are stupid but in a clever sort of way. They'll be doing bad deeds, but probably things not bad enough to get themselves kicked out. And knowing Pokey Oaks, the staff members are going to say something like, "Oh, they're just trying to change! Change doesn't happen in a day, you know. What's so wrong with that? Give them a chance! Aren't you supposed to be everything nice about this world, Blossom?"_  
**  
**Yes, everything nice. But not everything gullible and not everything accepting-of-evil. I'm nice, not stupid.

_Do you know what the sad part about this whole thing is though? The things I wrote above aren't even the worst thing about today. I know, how could it get any worse than this, right? Well, let me tell you how..._

* * *

The rest of the walk to the auditorium is like torture. My legs were practically jelly and my stomach refused to stop whirling. But luckily, I made it here in one piece. At least physically. Mentally, not so much.

My eyes scan the auditorium, and a huff automatically escapes me as I see a red cap not too far off. Just seeing Brick makes my blood boil. It's a natural response at this point. Brick stands with his brothers who are laughing and poking him, though my counterpart refrained from doing anything too bad. They were probably teasing him about something. As much as I hate them, I can't lie: their relationship with one another is kind of amusing. It reminds me of mine with my sisters.

I figure I should keep a close eye on them. Quietly, I sit behind them, trying to make sure to not attract attention to myself. However, my luck meter must have crashed and burned the moment I bumped into Brick in the hallway. "You just can't get enough of me, can you babe?" I hear Brick ask, then he turns around to face me, a smirk on his lips. His eyes practically shine with mischief.

I feel my own lips tighten. I want to argue so badly, but I know there's no benefit to it. He's just teasing me to get an answer out of me, which he'll build upon and tease me some more. The cycle is as tiring as listening to Buttercup yell at people while she plays her videogames at two in the morning even though that's way past curfew. (Seriously, I have no idea how I'm the only person in the house to hear that! I know Professor is getting old, but even he should hear!)

"The silent treatment? Really?" Brick did not look pleased. It almost made me laugh. "Ugh. Fine, be that way. But don't be mad when karma bites you in the ass." He shrugs, then turns back around. This would be the perfect moment for me to burn his hat or maybe throw a shoe or two at him, but I stay civil, more for my sake than for his.

Even though I couldn't see his face, I knew that the blond Rowdyruff —I believe that one is Boomer —is holding in a ton of laughter. "Heh. You called her 'babe,'" I hear him mutter under his breath, and he along with Butch go into a fit of snickers.

"And you're _both _'bout ta call a nurse if ya keep laughin'," Brick growls. "Try me."

The other 'Ruff, Butch I think, raises his hands in mock terror, then laughs some more. "Ohhhh, _scary_. Mr. Cooties uses one curse word earlier and thinks he's on top of the world. Ain't that funny, Boom?"

"Freakin' hysterical, Butch." The two reach over and give each other a high five. I know Brick has the hugest scowl on his face right now. That thought alone brings me joy.

To my surprise, Brick does nothing about his brothers laughing at him. I suppose he's just pretending to be calm. As soon as they're off school grounds, he's gonna yell at and hit his brothers like there's no tomorrow. Ah, the typical dynamics of siblinghood.

"If I could have everyone's attention..."

I look at the stage along with a majority of the students present. A man suddenly walks onstage and stands behind the podium, and the auditorium quiets down. It's not exactly silent, but I suppose it's silent enough for people who don't have ears as sensitive as mine. He stands with his hands behind his back, staring into the audience. A wide grin is on his face, and it looks as though he wants to laugh loudly at something.

"Hello, all!" The man clasps his hands, his smile never fading. The smile is almost contagious. Almost. Eight in the morning is just a little too early to be that happy. "I'm Mr. Man, and I'm the new principal of Pokey Oaks Junior High. I'm so glad to be here; I hope you all are as well."

A new principal? I didn't hear about this. Then again, I _was _a bit lazier this summer break compared to others. Bubbles had got me hooked on this stupid app where there are virtual cats that you feed and take pictures of. Is there an objective? Not really. And yet, to this day, I still have the urge to pull my phone out and gush at the cats during a good seventy-five percent of the day. Curse society for making my brain focus on things that aren't real.

"It's a wonderful day and a wonderful chance for new opportunities," Mr. Man continues. "More learning, more growth, and most importantly, more fun." He fist pumps, but nobody joins him. If anything, they all look very weirded out. I don't know how my face looks, but I'm pretty sure it's similar to every other student in the audience. However, Mr. Man isn't really fazed by this. "It's important to focus on keeping your grades on track, but I also want everyone here to know that it's alright to unwind and—"

Suddenly, he pauses. All seems mostly quiet. However... "Hm. It would be nice if I could have everyone's attention. That includes you two, Buttercup Utonium, Mitch Mitchelson," Mr. Man announces, staring right towards the back of the auditorium.

My eyes narrow at that. "How did he..." I hear Buttercup ask, and honestly, I couldn't help but think the same thing. As much as it angers me to admit, Buttercup and Mitch are absolute pros when it comes to secretly talking with one another in any instance. Hell, even I have difficulty catching them sometimes. So for Mr. Man to do it so easily... Honestly, it's too good to be true.

"_Ohhhhhhh~_" Butch draws out in the quietest whisper he can do. His brothers snicker in response, and somehow, I can feel Buttercup's icy glare from here. However, as soon as Mr. Guy turns toward our direction, the 'Ruffs quiet down in an instant. Are their faces holding anything other than one of those I'm-trying-my-hardest-to-hold-in-my-laughter-but-it's-so-damn-hard smiles though? Probably not.

Mr. Man leans onto the podium, looking at all of us. "I've been studying the vast majority of you students for quite a while, the past couple of years in fact while I was training to take Mr. Brown's position as principal. I would rather get to know you all in person, but I know that some students wouldn't be comfortable with that. It doesn't mean I won't get a basic knowledge of everyone here, though." He playfully flicks his hand, laughing slightly. "It's only right for a principal to do so, especially for a school as brilliant as Pokey Oaks Junior High. Only the best of the best go here, and I intend to make sure that it stays that way. _Permanently_."

Though he said it in such a kind tone, there was an underlying threat to Mr. Man's words that sent a chill down my spine. For once, everything is completely silent. I couldn't hear anybody speaking, laughing, heck, even shuffling! Usually, there would be a little giggle or two, but there's nothing. The Rodyruff Boys aren't even doing anything after Mr. Guys's stare, and the boys are, well... rowdy. It's literally apart of who they are.

Before I could think more on it, Mr. Man wraps up his speech. "So yes, we should all unwind and have fun while balancing the hardships of a school year. This includes following all the rules, which are placed in your handbooks as usual. I don't want to keep you guys long, so I'll end off with one little phrase: Youth is only so long of a period, so make sure to enjoy it while you still can~" He gives us a smile even wider than the last (I have no idea how his cheekbones manage to be honest), and with that, he makes his way off stage.

A bunch of voices soon come rushing out, some laughing, others a tad bit worried, but all about Mr. Man. This new principal is very different from our last. While Mr. Brown was quiet and reserved, Mr. Man seems energetic and ready to socialize with just about anybody out there. And the speech he gave is by far the weirdest speech we've ever heard here at Pokey Oaks. Granted, this school is weird, but not _this _weird.

"Hey, Pinky!" Brick turns to look at me again. You know, for somebody who hates my guts and wants to destroy my sisters and I, he sure does seem to love sparking up a conversation with me. But whatever. I won't answer him. "Blossy?" He leans a bit closer, staring me right in the eye._ Definitely_ won't answer him. "Ugh. _Hey Blossom_?" He sounded dead inside.

"Yes?" I answer, then sigh. Ugh, curse me and my inability to ignore when someone calls me by my actual name.

Brick tilts his head. "What's a principal and why'd he act like he owned the place?" He can't be serious. However, judging by the look on his face, he is very serious. "_Does_ he own the place? ...How do ya become a principal? I'm tryin' to see somethin'." A smirk spreads across his face.

Boomer jumps and also turns around, looking a bit proud. "Oh, are ya tryin' to become a principal so ya can run the school, which would make it easier to defeat the Powdapuff Girls—" he starts.

But before Boomer can finish his (obvious) prediction, Brick takes off his hat and hits his brother on the head. "Shut. _UP._ Boomer." His words come through gritted teeth, and his face is about as red as his sweater.

"Yeah, shut _UP _Boomer!" Butch repeats, sticking out his tongue at the blond.

Brick gives him a look. "You don't get to tell him to shut up; only I can do that. Now turn back 'round, both of ya."

"Whatever ya say, boss!" Butch exclaims, while Boomer automatically turns around, rolling his eyes and muttering something along the lines of "lame fire hydrant."

"Anyways," Brick huffs out. "'Bout those steps to Principal Land..."

"You really wanna learn?" I asked. He nods excitedly. "Okay. First step: Quit being evil."

Brick opens his mouth, but right on cue, another staff member comes up on the stage to speak. He glares at me and mouths something. Judging by his look, I assume it's not a pretty word. However, before he turns around, I give him a biiiiiig smile. His middle finger is enough of an answer to it.

Afterward, some more faculty and staff members come on the stage, giving small statements and reminding us about the most important rules, like refraining from skipping class and fighting on school grounds. (I literally saw Butch's twitching increase the more rules were stated. Poor boy. This setting really isn't for him.) By the time it was all over, most students were asleep. I can't lie— my eyes feel a little bit heavier than usual and I might've blinked for a few seconds longer than normal. I let out a yawn, stretching as I grabbed my bookbag.

"_Blossom Utonium?_"

"Gah!" I practically fly out of my seat seeing Mr. Man's face. He stands in the row behind me, leaning forward to see me. I didn't expect him to be so tall; it's like he's practically touching the ceiling! (Ok, so I'm exaggerating. He's probably about six-foot-something. But still, unlike Bubbles and Buttercup, I didn't get a big growth spurt, so I only stand at five-foot even.) "I-I mean, yes?" I stutter out, trying to regain my composure.

Mr. Man's smile widens, seeming unaffected by my outburst. "Nothing much. I just wanted to quickly meet you." He holds his hand out to me. "Your grades have been a big talk of the city, not to mention you're a well-respected superhero. You manage to balance school and work-life perfectly, and I've been looking up to you for a while. It's a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance."

I couldn't help but feel a little bit proud. After trying so hard and struggling a lot, it's always nice to hear compliments like this. "Thank you," I say truthfully, relaxing a little. I shake his hand, smiling back. "It's very nice to meet you as well, sir, and I appreciate all that you've said. I'll continue to do my best!"

"Excellent." He firmly shakes my hand, then turns to leave. "I expect great things from you, Miss Utonium," he calls over his shoulder before he takes off into the hallway.

I probably stood there, beaming like a nerdy idiot for at least ten minutes or so, because by the time I look at the clock, I only have two minutes until my first class. A gasp escapes me. "Shoot!" If there's one thing I refuse to do, it's being late to class, especially on the first day. That would make me a terrible example!

Without thinking much on it (because technically, this is breaking a rule), I run to class, giving myself some extra boost with a little flight. I make it in front of the closed door for Ms. Keane's class, and I can't help but grin. I adore Ms. Keane and I always feel like the luckiest girl to get into her advanced literature classes every year. Everyone knew as soon as you make it into Ms. Keane's first-period class, you're in every advanced class. It's what I believe to be one of the highest honors.

I fix my bow straight, then walk inside calmly. As soon as I walk in, I'm instantly greeted with a big hug. "There you are Blossom, right on time, too!" Ms. Keane exclaims, the bell ringing in the background. "Look at you, growing up! It's so good to see you in the advanced class for another year!"

"Great to see you, too ma'am." I hug her back, then turn to face that class. That's when my heart drops completely.

"Your seat's in the back, right next to your partner for the school year—" Ms. Keane starts.

But she didn't need to finish the statement. My brain beat her to it. "Brick Jojo!?"

I have to be dreaming. I just have to be. There's no way I'm seeing a Rowdyruff Boy in an advanced class. How did he get in this class? _Why?_ I typically don't believe in fate, but I was hoping my future would look a little less filled with villains, especially this one.

This isn't a dream, though. Brick looks at me, and I want to punch the laugh right out of his eyes. "Hello, Blossy. Great to see you again!" He gives me this grin that says so much underneath the surface. Probably something along the lines of, _'So you're probably wondering how I got here. Well, I won't tell you. But also, I'm smarter than you and beating you in the future will be a piece of delicious cake.'_

As much as I wanted to express my disgust, I knew I couldn't in this setting. Technically, he hasn't done anything wrong (even though I would argue that his existence is a wrong all on its own). So instead, I nod in his direction, trying my hardest to keep my face still and neutral. "_Bricky_. Great to see you as well."

He visibly shifts, probably from the nickname, but his face stays innocent. Yeah, I'm definitely gonna use it every time he called me anything other than Blossom. It's only fair. They say to stop others from making you uncomfortable is giving them a taste of their own medicine, so I suppose Brick should get used to calling me Dr. Blossom.

"Good, seems like you two have already begun talking with one another. That should prove great once we begin projects." Ms. Keane places a supportive hand on my shoulder. "Now please sit down, Blossom. I should begin introducing the class to you all."

With a shaky sigh, I fly to the back of the class where my desk awaits. On top of it, I find a letter with my name written on it. Judging by the handwriting, it's from Ms. Keane. After I unpack all my necessities, I slip the envelope in neatly then sit down on the cold, metal chair, facing Ms. Keane as she began to speak. My hands can't stop shaking and it's hard to find my breath. I can't help but feel a bit jittery knowing that at any moment, they can spring up and try to fight me with innocent people all around us. The lives of others are at stack. It's terrifying.

"So..." Brick mutters, keeping his eyes on the teacher to make it seem like he was actually paying attention. I hate to admit it, but he's doing a really good job at pretending to be a good student so far. I'm... impressed. Ugh.

But nope. I refuse to speak to him throughout this entire class as long as I am breathing—

"That karma came bitin' ya ass fast, huh Blossom?"

"Shut. Up." I can't help but huff out quietly.

Even without looking, I can sense his smirk. He doesn't say anything back. He knows he won't, I'm sure of it. I can only think one thing before tuning back into Ms. Keane.

_'Damn it.'_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look at me, updating about a month later! I'm somehow ahead of schedule. This probably won't be the case once the semester really starts hitting, but until then, I shall celebrate this small victory of mine.
> 
> (Also random note: I forgot how much I love writing Brick. He's just so fun to write for. I love that small lil fire hydrant. What a tyrant.)
> 
> Again, thanks for reading so far! This story is a bittttt of a slow burner, but the plot should really start hitting in Chapter 4, so stay tuned for the next few chapters! Until next time :)


	4. Hopping to It

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The hip, hip a hop, and you don't stop, a rock it out-

_ **Chapter 4: Hopping to It** _

_Brick Jojo is in the advanced class. _

_Look at that sentence closely. Look how wrong that sentence looks. Now imagine it as reality. A nightmare, right? Catastrophic. Well, now I'm living in that catastrophic nightmare, and, quite frankly, I want out._

_It'd be one thing if he was only in one of my classes. I can deal with that. But no, he's in _all _of them. From advanced literature in the morning all the way until Algebra II in the afternoon, I'm stuck with Brick Jojo. For about eight hours almost every weekday, I'm stuck with Brick Jojo._

_Does this count as child labor? I think it should count because Brick is a LOT of work, too much work for a thirteen-year-old to handle. Me having superpowers does not count because unfortunately, he has them, too, which cancels that argument out. Child labor is illegal. Dealing with Brick should be illegal. Yet here I am, suffering._

_It's not that Brick acts badly. He's not sticking bugs in people's hair and he's not throwing spitballs here and there. In fact, from the experience of our first day, he's pretty chill, minus all the whispered remarks he makes to crack a joke or two. He was even a little bit respectful when talking with the teachers, and he participated in all the ice breakers. But every single teacher of ours has placed me right next to him. Every. Single. One. We're even partners in gym class. We've never even had gym partners before! How the hell am I supposed to deal with him with no breaks other than lunch!?_

_Diary, I can't lie. I'm already tired of this school year. No, e_xhausted_. Just the thought of being around Brick for that long five times a week makes me want to sleep for a couple of years to prepare._

_I'll be damned if he gets the best of me, though. I might not have a normal year, but I WILL have a productive and successful year, even with a Rowdyruff included. I'm a Powerpuff Girl. Dealing with messy situations is what we do. I just have to adjust to this._

_Wish me luck (because I definitely need it),  
Blossom Utonium_

_..._

By the time I'm done writing, my right wrist is burning. I take a heap of my hair in my hands and tug on it for a short second, staring at the pages in front of me. It takes everything in me to not scream out loud and worry Professor and my sisters. This day has been so conflicting. It isn't like the time the Ganggreen Gang joined our class back in Kindergarten. The Rowdyruff Boys are our age and even though I've noticed their true intentions, the faculty sees them as nothing other than troubled students who are ready to learn deep down.

It's so easy to write hopeful things down on a sheet of paper. But do I feel hopeful? To be honest, not really. In fact, it feels like the world is ending and it's also on fire while it simultaneously plays a stupid, annoying song that I can't get out of my head no matter how hard I try. It is the absolute worst.

"Blossom?" I look up, placing my diary under my pillow. Bubbles comes flying in, placing what I assume to be her script for the play down on her dresser. She then sits beside me. "I think we all should, uh, talk about today."

Buttercup flies in after her. "Same," she agrees, rolling her orange basketball under her bed. She's got this look on her face that's anything but good. After closing the door, she says in a hushed whisper, "What the actual fuck was school today? Like seriously, what the heck?" She bolts to my bed, huffing out some much-needed air. Any other time, I'd tell her to be less vulgar out loud, but right now, I think she has every right to be. To be fair, my words can be just as bad as hers, but I can control it just a tad little bit better.

"I don't know!" Bubbles exclaims. She crosses her legs on the bed, resting her head on the palm of her hand. "Do you know how shocked I was to see Boomer of all people walk in my art class and actually hear his name in the roll call? I mean sure, he's cute, and okay, he has really nice eyes, and alright, the way he talks is-"

Buttercup gives our sister a look. "Ew. Stop. Please." Buttercup fakes a gag while I roll my eyes and Bubbles snorts a little. Leave it to the joy and the laughter of the group to call the enemy cute in a time of distress. "But c'mon, Bloss. What're we gonna do 'bout this? We're gonna kick their butts? 'Cause if so, I wanna lead." Buttercup pounds a fist into her other hand.

That sounds as tempting as running away from all of my problems right now. "Don't get me wrong. I want to kick their butts to Saturn, really, I do, but..." I let out a sigh. "Okay, hear me out. What have they done wrong?"

"Uh, everything?" Buttercup raises an eyebrow and states the obvious. "Them being created was a wrong on its own."

I shake my head. "No, I mean what they've done wrong in school. Think about it guys."

"Well, they..." Bubbles pauses. Her mouth opens, then closes. "They kinda..." She thinks some more. "Okay in our math class, Boomer made a dumb fart noise and all the boys in the class laughed, but other than that... Nothing, to be honest."

"Same here." Buttercup plops down on her back, staring at the ceiling. "I mean, Butch, like, whispered somethin' in class..." She trails off, not quite finishing her sentence.

Sadly, they proved my point. "See? Technically, they've done nothing wrong. I mean sure, they broke minor rules, but that's the thing. They're minor rules. Even we've broken some minor rules." I shrug. Nobody's perfect, myself included. It'd be hard to follow every single rule all the time.

"No, we haven't!" Bubbles and Buttercup shout simultaneously.

Wow, I can't believe they're saying such a bold, false claim right in my face. I'm not letting them get away with it, though. "Okay, I've been late to class a couple times; I just get off the hook because I know how to be nice," I admite. I glance at Bubbles. "You skip some time during classes to brush your hair, Bubs. More time than what you need, actually. Five minutes per pigtail is a little excessive." Bubbles pouts, though she doesn't argue back. I then turn my attention to Buttercup. "And you literally got called out by the principal today. On the _first_ day of school, Buttercup!"

Buttercup sits up again. "That doesn't count; me and Mitch were talkin' 'bout somethin' really important at that moment!"

"Oh yeah? About what?" I cross my arms.

"Calculus. Duh."

"Buttercup, even I'm not in Calculus and I'm in advanced courses. We're all in some form of Algebra, liar."

"Okay, okay, we're getting off track." Bubbles comes in between us, making sure we don't leap at each other. I wasn't going to, but Buttercup might have, and I was taught to defend myself if a situation arises. With a shaky exhale, Bubbles looks at me. "Blossom, what're we gonna do about them?"

"I'm gonna be honest, girls. I'm not sure." I run a hand through my hair, trying my hardest not to pull it again. "Brick already admitted that they're only attending because they want to get smarter to defeat us or something, but we all know that's not how it works. They might be clever, but we've always defeated them. So..." The girls look at me, and I sigh. I don't want to make this decision, but logically speaking, it's our best option. "For now, let's just wait this out. Maybe we can get through the year smoothly. Remember what Ms. Keane always tells us? Violence isn't the answer, especially in school. Let's make sure we listen to her this year, alright? No matter what." With my palm facing down, I look at my sisters, waiting for them to agree.

Bubbles nods her head firmly. "No matter what." She places her hand on top of mine and gives me a huge grin.

"Ugh." Buttercup huffs a little, then places her hand on top of ours. "Yeah, yeah, no matter what. But if one of 'em hits me first then I'm gonna have to take 'em outside."

I smile at my sisters. I love how we're always a team, even in hard times like this. It makes the battle feel a little less scary and gives me a little more hope. "Good. Now, let's forgot about those dumb boys for now. What was one good thing that happened in school for you two? It can be anything." I remove my hand from the pile.

Buttercup wastes no time, her face brightening significantly. "Coach is lettin' me be his assistant for the basketball season. Yeah, I'm amazing."

Bubbles gasps. "That's awesome, Buttercup! Congrats!"

"I'm proud of you." A tiny smirk grows on my face. "Look at you, helping out. Future coach in the making over here." I point at her and Bubbles joins me, poking her face gently. "We can't wait to be your biggest fans."

Bubbles snorts, pinching Buttercup's nose lightly. "The biggest, most embarrassing fans you'll ever have!"

"Quit it, you teasing dorks!" Buttercup laughs, playfully pushing us. We all fall into a heap of giggles, shifting the covers of my bed.

"Okay, okay," Bubbles finishes laughing, wiping an imaginary tear away. "So Mr. Green's my homeroom and first-period teacher this year, and he brought in this really cute bunny. Her name's Bella and she's our class pet. He said that as long as I'm early, I can help take care of her before class begins."

"You took pictures of her, didn't you?" I glance at her.

In the speed of light, Bubbles whips her phone out of her pocket. "Of course I did! Here, look." Her thumbs tap the screen quickly, and soon, there's a picture of quite possibly the cutest bunny to ever exist on the phone.

I lean forward, taking the bunny all in. "Awww, how precious! Look at her cute brown fur! I have to visit her sometime."

"She looks pretty cool." Buttercup shrugs, but she can't hide the awestruck look on her face. "I wouldn't call her Bella, though. Maybe something cooler, like Chainsaw or Flamethrower the Third."

"Uh, there's a clear difference between cool and completely dangerous." Bubbles raises an eyebrow. "And who even is Flamethrower the First and Second?"

Buttercup sticks out her tongue and it curls naturally. I still find it cool that she can do that; I've literally been trying for years and yet I can't seem to move my tongue like her. "Dangerous things _are _cool, and the Third always sounds better than any other number." She huffs slightly. "Alright, your turn, Bloss."

My eyes stare ahead blankly. I didn't actually expect them to ask how my day went, and now that I'm thinking about it... How did it go? It's been rather hectic, filled with surprises I could have never planned for. But I can't tell them that. I have to stay positive for their sake. "Well," I begin, "I uh... Oh! I completed all of my homework already." I can hear my brain cells telling me how lame that was.

"Nerddddd. Say something interesting!" Of course, Buttercup agrees with my brain cells. Why did I have the slightest doubt she wouldn't?

"Yeah Bloss, there's gotta be something else other than that," Bubbles tries to encourage me.

Does there really HAVE to be something else? In comparison to my sisters, my life isn't really interesting. The Rowdyruff Boys showing up to our school unannounced is going to probably be the most interesting thing for my school year, and it doesn't even necessarily center around me. "Sorry girls, but that's all I got today." I force my cheeks up slightly. "Maybe tomorrow will look better."

"I'm sure tomorrow will be better, Blossom. First days can be a drag." Bubbles pats my shoulders, then springs up from my bed. "Oh, I said I was gonna meet up with Robin in a bit. Catch you guys later!" She gives us a tiny wave, then flies out the open window to next door.

Buttercup stands up as well, stretching her arms and legs slightly. "And I'm stopping by Elmer's. He wants me to see his new glue creation and honestly, I'm at the point where seeing them is a lil' guilty pleasure." She shrugs slightly.

I nod in understanding. "At least he stopped eating it. And to be fair, that glue rollercoaster he did last year for the science fair was amazing." I'm not lying; I don't even know how that was physically possible for Elmer to make it stay up like that. He deserved second place.

"True, true..." She stuffs her hands in her jacket pockets and gives me a little smile before floating away. "Heh. See ya later, Bloss."

I wave back. "Bye, Buttercup." I wait until she's out the door and far enough to let out a huge exhale. This isn't the first time I've been alone in the room and it certainly wouldn't be the last. For the vast majority of the year, I'm stuck in here by myself. It's not the worst when I want alone time, but sometimes I wish I had friends to hang out with. It'd be more fun.

My eyes glance at my book bag, and suddenly, I remember about the letter Ms. Keane gave me. I'm unsure if it's super important or not, but there's only one way to find out. After fishing out the envelope, I open it carefully, take out the letter, place it on my lap, and begin to read:

* * *

_Blossom,_

_I hope your first day of classes went well! I'm so glad that you're joining me for another year, and I'm excited to see your growth. From your constant participation to your well thought out work, you've definitely been a shining star at Pokey Oaks._

_Now, by the end of the school day, I'm sure you've noticed that you and Brick Jojo have been paired up with everything. I'm going to be transparent with you because you deserve that honesty. This was intentional on my behalf along with your other teachers and Mr. Man, the new principal. In fact, after the entrance exam results came in, Mr. Man came to us personally to come up with this plan. Simply put, we want you to tutor him so he stays on track._

* * *

The entire world seems to crumble as I read the words of me. The teachers and the principal want me to WHAT!? It was too crazy to be considered true. I bite my lip to resist the urge to scream aloud. All the sound travels to my mind instead, thoughts crashing together like a terrible traffic accident caused by elderly people who shouldn't be driving in the first place. My eyes land on the paper again, my hair back in my clenched hands.

* * *

_Brick is a wise young man, but he needs a little help to get to a level I know he can get to. His exam scores were enough to get him in advanced courses, but after some secluded testing along with extra exercises, we discovered that his scores were just enough by the exact percentage. I'm aware that he's had a rough past and you both have had your fair share of fights. However, you're one of the smartest girls I've had the privilege to meet. If anybody can tutor him and keep him on top of things, it's you._

_I have full faith in you, Blossom. If things prove to be too difficult, don't be afraid to tell me or any of the other administration. We're here if you need any assistance._

_Best of luck,_  
_Ms. Keane_

* * *

In the wise words of Buttercup, _what in the actual fuck?_  
  
I want to say no. Somewhere deep in my brain, one voice is screaming at me to call it quits. This is above me. There are some things that are just way too complicated to handle on my own. Yet, another voice is telling me to just accept it and be nice. Ms. Keane is depending on me. All of the teachers are depending on me. How can I possibly say no?

Of course, the nice voice wins yet again.

I let out a sigh. Then, I inhale some. Then I let out another. And then probably five more. Usually, sighing makes me feel a little better after a while, but right now it probably sounds I'm a mattress who's losing much needed air.

"I hear the sound of consecutive sighs." Professor opens the door gently, peaking in.

"Sorry." My hands escape my hair and fall into my lap, and I give him a sheepish smile. "I'm just... feeling a little down is all."

"And why's that?" As always, Professor turns into complete dad-mode the moment he sees me upset. He's the sweetest man, always looking for ways to make sure my sisters and I stay in the right mental space. I appreciate him coming into (and, technically, creating) our lives more than anything else.

For the millionth time, I sigh, walking over to him as he enters the room. "I just had to be a nerd, huh? The 'everything nice' bit couldn't come with something cool? You could've like, I don't know, threw some shades along with creating me, Professor. Shades are cool, right?"

His eyebrows furrow as he frowns slightly. "Hey, don't be like that, Blossom. You're very cool."

"Yeah, as cool as checkers."

"Hey, checkers is a cool game!"

"I mean, yeah, to us, but not the general population of people my age."

A small laugh escapes Professor. "I see why you're upset." He crouches down to my height, looking me right in the eye. "See, when I was your age, I didn't fit in. Apparently conducting experiments was nerdy and boring, so I wasn't allowed to hang out with most people."

Even though this wasn't a shock to me, I still can't help but feel upset. I love school, but even I know that its system isn't perfect by any means and it ruins so many children's opinions on academic studies. However, to cast someone out over the sole reason that they conducted experiments was a shame. If only they could see what we see... "Psh. Their loss," I can't help but mutter.

"Yup. Their loss." There's this look in Professor's eyes, one that looked like he was reliving everything he went through back then. "But of course I was upset about that. Being outcasted is never fun. So after a while, I just... learned that I had to fit in my own way."

That's easier said than done. "How did you do that?" I ask quietly.

"Even if I told you, it wouldn't help." I couldn't help but pout at that, and Professor laughs a little. "You gotta understand Blossom. Discovering it on your own is best for you. You can do it. You can do anything you put your mind to."

"Oof, a philosophical journey? I despise those." It was true. As much as I love learning, even I admit that certain trips to knowledge were too much.

"They come with growing up." He ruffles my hair a little before getting back up. "Do you understand what I'm saying, dear?"

I really want to say something like, 'Well, maybe I don't want to grow up. Maybe I want to stay a kid forever and not learn about all the responsibilities I'm going to have to live by for the rest of my life.' But instead, I nod my head. "Mhmm," I reply simply, "I get it."

"Good." Professor smiles at me, heading over to exit the room. "Remember you can talk to me about anything, okay? And if you don't want your old man all up in your hair, then your sisters will definitely hear you out."

I force my cheeks to lift up. "I get it. Thank you, Professor. I really appreciate it."

Professor nods before closing the door. My body suddenly feels heavy, and I sink back onto my bed, throwing my comforter over my body. Overthinking things is never good for me. I've learned that the best way to avoid it is to take a little nap. I lay my head down on my pillow, close my eyes, and let my thoughts drift away into temporary oblivion.

* * *

_Everything is black. My body doesn't feel like a body; it's more like jello floating in an empty void. There's everything and nothing here all at once. It's overwhelming._

_"What do you desire?" The deep voice that booms across the area holds a power within it, one that gives me the chills._

_"Desire...?" I can't help but ask._

_"Yes, Blossom. Desire. What is something you want, something you crave to have? It can be anything."_

_I let out a forced laugh. "I, uh, can't really think of anything right now. Good grades? A great school year? Maybe I—"_

_"Lying and stalling won't get you anywhere. I know what you want. And even if I didn't, the truth will catch up to you and reveal itself. It always has. It always will. That's what truths do, anyway."_

_"Who... Who are you...?"_

_There's a deep chuckle that floats in the air. "Ah, ah, ah. Curiosity killed the cat, my dear. Don't let it kill you, too. Let life run its course, and remember about your desires. Because if you don't, this school year will be more confusing than needed."  
_

_That threat sounded like this person knows what's going to happen. But this voice is coming from within me. How can I both internally know and not know about the future itself? "What the heck does that mean—" I begin to ask._

_The voice interrupts me again. "Patience, Blossom. Patience. Just watch and see, my dear. Watch and see..."  
_

* * *

And by the time I snap out of it, I notice that I'm in front of the school.

"Huh...?" I rub my head. Once my eyes regain focus, I notice that I'm not at home; rather, I'm in front of the school. The sun's rays shine brightly, and a groan escapes me. I'm tempted to just close my eyes because this feels more like a dream than reality. However, after a slight pinch on the arm, I know that I am very much awake at the moment.

Whatever I went through in that dream was strange. _This _is strange. When and how did I even get here? I look around. The entire front entrance is vacant, and according to the clock that hangs upon the front frame of the school, I've got a solid ten minutes until homeroom. Luckily, whatever spell I was under allowed me to get dressed in new clothes and be ready for school with my bookbag somehow.

"Ms. Utonium!" Before I could ponder further on the subject, Mr. Green runs up to me. "There you are!"

"Here I am...?" I lift an eyebrow. He looks frantic. Maybe an incident happened. "Uh, what's going—"

"It has taken forever to catch you," he mutters, interrupting me, and he shakes his head. "Come with me to the principal's office young lady."

The principal's office? I don't know what he'd want to discuss with me there, but then again, maybe the emergency is taking place in the office. "Alright then..."

As I walk with Mr. Green, I immediately notice that everyone's eyes are on me. Literally. I wish I was exaggerating on that. But once you know how it feels to have everyone stare you down, it's hard to ignore it. Not only that, but it's mostly quiet, minus little whispers like, "There she is!" and "Was it _really _Blossom?"

I suddenly see Bubbles, and I want to ask her what the heck is going on. But then I get a good look at her face and freeze a little. It's in this weird combination of angry and completely devastated with a little bit of confusion. Now that is definitely something I don't see very often unless it has something to do with her misplacing Octi for the umpteenth time. Something tells me that she's looking like that because of me. I could question her now, but I think it'd be better to do so in private.

Instead, I keep following Mr. Green. When we reach the principal's office, he leads me to a chair placed on the opposite side of Mr. Man's desk. Mr. Man glances up from his computer. "Blossom, please have a seat. And thank you, David."

Mr. Green nods before leaving and I sit down, instinctively crossing my legs. "Hello, Mr. Man," I greet him politely. "Can you, uh, tell me what's going on exactly? Is there an emergency?"

"Not an emergency, per se, but definitely a problem." Mr. Man sighs, running a hand through his jet black hair. "I honestly didn't want to believe it. But, there's nobody else who could've done it but you."

If I wasn't lost before, I definitely am now. "Done what?" I tilt my head.

Mr. Man pushes his keyboard aside, then folds his hands on top of his desk. "I know that it must be pretty... tempting to visit a pet in school, especially something small and fluffy. However, to let them out of their cage and let them free is dangerous for them, especially in a school where people don't pay full attention to the ground while rushing to class, Blossom. Bella could have gotten hurt, or even worse than that."

"Huh?" I blink, then blink a little harder. This has got to be a nightmare or something. However, after an even harder pinch on the arm, the whole nightmare theory flies away entirely. "I'm sorry that this has happened, Mr. Man, but there's absolutely no way I could have done that to Bella. I would never!" I exclaim.

"And I want to believe that. Really, I do. However..." Mr. Man bites his lip, then shakes his head, turning his computer screen towards me. "These are pictures captured from the surveillance cameras inside the building."

I look at the screen and feel my heart drop right to my stomach. One picture shows me entering the empty classroom. Another is of me opening the cage and letting the bunny free right on the classroom floor. I wouldn't think they're me; you can't really see the face of the person from these pictures. Still, the orange hair and the big, red bow are as clear as day. Who else could it be in other people's eyes?

"I'll let you off with a warning right now. But just be aware that this behavior is something we won't tolerate here." Turning his computer screen back to his direction, Mr. Man gives me a stern look. "Now get to class, please. You shouldn't be tardy if you head straight there."

There was no reason to argue. I had no proof that the person is a fraud. Plus, there would be no point in going back and forth with absolutely nothing to help me. "Yes, sir..." I answer quietly instead, lifting up from my seat. Without looking back at Mr. Man's disappointed face, I trudge to homeroom.

* * *

"Sooooo, I heard what ya did."

Of course Brick did. I would be surprised if anyone in this school _didn_'t hear about what I supposedly did. For the entire day, I've had people sneak glances at me, whisper about me, even come up to me to confront me on the issue over Bella the bunny. I'm sure lunch would have been a nightmare if I went. This day is somehow worse than the first day. Go figure.

For the last period, we're supposed to be working on looking after our partner's solutions to the open-ended questions Ms. Ness, our Algebra II teacher, assigned earlier in class. They weren't meant to be too hard, but they were still challenging. Ms. Ness was more focused on the other students, though from time to time, I noticed her eye on us. She'd give me a smile, and my body instinctively gave one back.

I didn't really feel like smiling, though.

"Isn't doing bad deeds my job?" I don't answer Brick's unneeded question, staring out the window. I really wish he would just finish the last question so we can move on, but alas. He huffs and I can hear the frown from it. "Silent treatment. Again. You really know how to rile me up, huh?" No answer again. He's probably going to continue talking anyway. One thing I learned about Brick is that he loves hearing the sound of his voice more than anything in the world. He grunts. "Okay. Fine. Not gonna lie, Blossy, cause most of the time, ya can see right through 'em anyway. I don't think ya have it in ya to do that to the bunny or whatever. You're too _nice _for that. Someone must've framed ya."

It would be a lie if I said I wasn't shocked. Brick Jojo, believing what I had to say? It was too good to be true. "Yeah..." I say back slowly. Honestly, Brick has a point, too. This has to be something someone decided to pin on me. Like I said to Mr. Man, it's impossible that I've done this. But someone else definitely could have. Someone... "Someone like you." I turn to face him.

There's a slight pause. "Like _moi?_" Brick fakes a gasp, then presses his fingertips to his chest. "Are you saying I did this? Oh no. No no no. This is mediocre framing at best. I would've done something way cooler." He chuckles, scribbling some more words on his paper.

"Cooler? So cool as in pretending to be me to release Class C's class pet out into the open like that, then framing me so attention turns away from you and onto me?" I feel my blood begin to boil, but I keep my voice leveled and quiet enough for only us to hear. "You hate me and quite possibly every innocent civilian in Townsville, and it's suspicious you or your brothers haven't done anything here yet. We have the same hair color, and it's not impossible for you to somehow steal my clothes and bow to do this."

Brick scowls. "Hey, I actually _loathe_ you. Get it right next time." Even with a displeased look, he seems so proud to say that. He probably just learned the word 'loathe' this morning. "But I'm tellin' ya I ain't do it. Ain't no way I'd wear your clothes. Maybe ya spinach green sister's cause she's got taste for a girl, but yours are a definite no for me. Ya know, maybe you should put all ya angry energy into searching for the real bastard who did it; maybe you'd make a lil progress or somethin'." He turns back to his paper, writing some more numbers and explanations.

My blood refuses to cool. He was either playing with me or, somehow, this truly doesn't involve him at all. However, I'm not one to fully jump to conclusions, even if he is a villain who would definitely do it. There's one way to prove that he has no parts in all of this, one way that will definitely come and bite me in the ass sometime in the future. But, I have to take the risk.

"You're right. I am going to find who did this." I stare at him until he looks up at me, making sure to never look away from his fire-red eyes. "And you're going to help me do it."

Brick blinks, then, when realizing that I'm more than serious at this point, lets out a snort. "And _why _would I do that?" He gets ready to turn back to balancing his pencil on his nose, but I stop him before he gets too far.

"You wanna be smart right?" Brick rolls his eyes then nods his head, and I continue. "Well, I'm your best ticket to it. That's why I'm your partner in every class: to tutor you and make you the smartest you can be. But I refuse to help you if you won't help me." He chuckles a little, and I'm suddenly a second away from exploding at him. Somehow, I keep my calm composure and lean close to him, dropping my voice to a near whisper. "I can get you kicked outta here with one yell of distress to the teachers. No, even the slightest _expression _of distress. Try me, Jojo. We can both play games."

We stare each other down, unwavering. Around us, I can hear the other students continue to work, paying no attention to us in the far back corner of the room. "...Well shit. Ya got me, Blossom. Intimidation's really a strong suit of yours, huh?" Brick laughs, finally breaking eye contact. He extends his hand towards me. "Alright. A deal's a deal. But only cause I can't stand it when you blame me for literally one of the worst 'crimes' on this planet. Plus, you're cute when you're mad, and I just can't go against a face like that."

"Awwww, thank you," I say sarcastically, my face stretching into a fake smile as I shake his hand, accepting a deal I wasn't really sure about anymore. "And you're absolutely handsome when you shut up, _Bricky_."

His smirk never fades, though I see his nose twitch. "Really? Guess I'll be ugly, then." The grip on his hand increases just a tad bit.

"Hm. Figures. It fits your character." I roll my eyes then snatch my hand away, though his touch never really leaves my skin.

Brick slides his paper to me and takes mine. "Your brain is sayin' otherwise, but for now, I'll let ya say out loud what ya wanna, Blossy." He then turns his attention to my assignment.

We fall into silence for a while as we look over each other's work, and I try to ignore the constant burn of my cheeks. Overall, it's not bad. The paper, I mean. Blushing right now is the absolute worst and I can see that he's eating this shit up because he knows that he is attractive... Sort of. Kind of. I don't know—but anyway. Technically, everything is right number-wise. The written explanations are a little rough, but I could still see where he's coming from. Brick is pretty smart actually.

"Not bad," I admit. "Your math is very good and your thoughts are all sorted out nicely. If you explain more on the third answer and use more summary on the fifth, Ms. Ness will be more impressed than I am."

"Seriously? I just kinda did whatever..." Brick replies slowly. It's so interesting that he has all this knowledge somehow. Then again, when I was created, I was made with an extensive amount of knowledge, so maybe he was, too. Actually, he _is _the embodiment of a talking dog's tail. Who knows how much brilliance that dog had, right? "I'm just gonna assume you're stuff's all right. No way your big brain's gonna get anything wrong." He shrugs, sliding my paper back to me.

I don't want to say that's true, because that would be cocky of me. Still, it's most likely true. I'm sure that I got at least the vast majority of the questions correct. "Okay. Hear me out, and don't you dare tease me over this. I'm being nice," I find myself saying.

"Teasing is gonna happen, but k, keep goin'!" Brick plants his elbows on the desk and rests his head in his hands, batting his eyes at me.

I suddenly regret ever even thinking of a nice thing about Brick. However, I'm too far in to take back my sentence. "You know, I'm serious when I say that you'd be brilliant with extra studying." After marking his paper one last time, I slide it back to him. "You're already at a pretty great start. See what I mean?"

Brick grabs it, and as he glances over his paper, he looks flabbergasted. "Hell yeah." He suddenly grows quiet, and his nose begins to twitch a little. "Th... Thanks, teach." It looked like it took everything in him to say those words. I got to admit, I'm impressed.

Not with the nickname, though. "Ew. Don't call me teach or I really won't help you." Still, I give him a small, genuine smile. "And you're welcome."

Brick scoffs, but still wears this cheeky grin on his face. "See, I try to give ya some polite words and this is the thanks I get? Never again. I'm stickin' with Blossy then, no ifs, ands, or buts."

I snort in response. I can't lie: I prefer Blossy over every nickname he's ever given me. Even though it's not my favorite, it's still better than "teach" and "Pinky."

Suddenly, the bell rings. "Please leave your assignment sheets on your desk and do questions five through ten on the handout I gave you all at the beginning of class. Have a nice day, kids!" Ms. Ness exclaims. The other students spring out of their chairs and make their way out of the door, some probably not hearing what the teacher said whatsoever as they converse with one another.

Brick gets up and shrugs his book bag over his shoulders. I remember seeing Ms. Keane give it to him yesterday, and I think I might have heard him mutter a little "thanks" to her. How kind of him. "We'll start phase one of the plan tomorrow," he announces, making his way towards the door. "You gotta catch me up to everything ya know, probably at lunch or somethin' so we're uninterrupted."

I know I dont really sit with anybody at lunch. The fact that I'd be sitting with Brick outside of a class setting seems bizarre and kind of funny —wait, the _what _now? The thought suddenly clicks in my head as I realize what he's said. "The, uh... The plan?" I ask. "What plan?"

Brick continues to walk. "You'll find out soon 'nough. Trust me, it'll all work out in the end. You are askin' the almost smartest being in the space place anyway," he answers vaguely.

"The space place is just called the universe."

"I-I knew that! I just think space place sounds cooler!"

Liar.

Putting my entire trust in a Rowdyruff Boy? Brick's clever, the most clever of his brothers. Just because I can read his lies now doesn't mean he won't learn how to maneuver them based off of my personality traits. This can easily backfire and blow up right in my face. But... "Alright. It better." I give him a stern look.

There has to be some form of "trust" in this whole thing, despite me wanting to not even give him the time of day. Otherwise, he'll throw in the towel, even if I do threaten to get him kicked out. He'd just think of another way to get smart, and there's that chance that his next plan will be better than this one. So, I'll let him do his thing first. It can't be that bad, right? Whatever he throws my way, I can find a way to difuse it if it becomes a situation.

Brick looks back and grins at me again, though I'm not sure if it's a kind one or an evil one. Before I could ponder on it further, he flies away into the halls.

"Welp," I mutter to myself. I grab my bag and slowly make my way out of the classroom, heading towards the buses lined up at the entrance of the school. "I just gotta adjust to this. Hopefully, this works out in the end, Blossom."

Yeah. That word. _Adjust_. Hopefully, it'll be easy to achieve...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: The lore has finally begun (slightly), mwahaha...
> 
> Hello all! I bring to you yet another early-ish update, which I'm surprised about. This is going way better than I expected. I'm very proud of myself for these monthly updates; let's see if I can keep it up! I might not be able to update next month, which is why I made this chapter about twice as big as the last one, but I will definitely get a chapter up in both December and January.
> 
> Also, have I told y'all how much I love writing for Blossom and Brick? 'Cause if not, then I do. A lot. Can you believe I've been writing this dynamic for ten whole years and I'm STILL not tired of it? Unbelievable.
> 
> Anyways, a big thanks for reading if you were able! I hope that you're enjoying it so far. It only gets wilder from here, so I hope y'all will stick around to see what'll happen next :)


	5. The Search

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> -Insert spy music here-

**Chapter 5: The Search  
**   
_Dear diary,_

_This school year is so messy and it's only the beginning. My life has been a bad case of unpredictableness and I can not for the life of me find a cure for it. _

_I still can't believe almost everyone at school thinks that I'm the one who set that bunny up for the worst. Yes, there is "evidence," but they should know better than to jump to conclusions. Technically, the pictures didn't show my face. Now that I think about it more, I didn't get a proper case at all! None of this is fair, but what can I do? Calling it out right now could just get me in more trouble, especially with nothing to back myself up with.  
_

_Bubbles is still a bit upset with me. I can tell. She'll speak to me, but she isn't as bubbly as she usually would be during our talks. "Ya gotta understand Bloss," Buttercup said to me when we were alone, "Bubbs doesn't know what to truly believe right now. But, I know deep down she doesn't think ya did that to the bunny. I sure as hell don't believe that. Just... give her some time, okay? Stuff like this goes away with time."_

_Buttercup is a good source of reason when I need it, and I get why Bubbles isn't very happy. Still, that doesn't make this hurt any less. We're not just a team, but we're also sisters, you know? We have to stick together. But I guess we can't right now. I don't know when we'll be able to, but I'm really trying my hardest to listen to Buttercup's words more than my internal thoughts._

_I think the only other person who believes me is Brick. Shocking, right? One of my biggest enemies is not only taking my side, but he's also helping me out with this whole situation. I mean yeah, I technically blackmailed him to do it. Still, our predicament is completely unpredictable.  
_

_I think I just have to play my cards out right. In a few minutes, I have to go to lunch, where I (surprisingly) agreed to eat and talk with Brick about everything that has happened thus far. He seemed like he already has an idea on how to go about this, but he didn't say much about it yet. I can only hope that he'll come up with a good plan, but honestly, I'm not expecting it. If push comes to shove, I'll handle this on my own. I don't know how, but I will._

_Here's to proving my innocence,  
Blossom Utonium_

_..._

Once I set my pencil down, the bell rings, dismissing us from biology. Ignoring all the stares from other students, I hurry towards my locker to change books for the second half of the day. Am I stalling by not talking to Brick on my way to lunch? Maybe. But it's mostly because I want to clear my head before I take myself to hell. That and hearing Brick nag in my ear for hours on end is a clear sign that I should take a slight break from him before being stuck again.

My body automatically takes me towards my destination, and I'm numb all over. I've never been this nervous walking into a school cafeteria before. One part of me feels like this is coming straight out of a stereotypical school drama plot, while another part of me freaks out because this is real life. I'm living in the shoes of the star female character of a crappy movie and right now, there's nothing I can do about that. How sad.

I'm not hungry, so I don't even bother heading towards the line of students waiting for today's lunch: sloppy joe with overcooked fries and a choice of water or milk. My stomach is probably thanking me in secret for skipping; this food is questionable just by the look of it from other's trays. I fly over to where Brick and his brothers are sitting: a table directly towards the back of the cafeteria, a spot that's practically hidden in a corner. Perfect spot for talking about one of the worst things to happen to me right to one of the worst people in the world.

"Brick." I nod in his direction as I take a seat across from him, plopping my books down on the table. Whispers begin to emerge from the already loud cafeteria, mostly about me sitting with someone like Brick. There goes my reputation. Again. As if it weren't low enough.

Brick's eyes meet mine. "Blossy," he purrs out, wiggling his eyebrows, and it takes everything in me to not punch him straight in the nose. I hate the way my face heats up every time he does something stupid, like calling me by that dumb nickname.

"Boomer!" his green-eyed brother suddenly exclaims from the other side of the table, and his right eye begins to twitch slightly. Dramatically, Butch points at Boomer's face, almost poking his brother in the eye.

Boomer seems more confused than startled by Butch's finger. "Butch...?" he says slowly, moving the finger away while looking up from the big packet in front of him. The pages are covered in a bunch of different colored highlights. Whatever assignment it is, it looks like he's somewhat taking it seriously... either that or he just likes to look at the colors. I bet it's the latter. "Why're we sayin' names exactly?"

Brick sighs, then he glances at me. "'Cuse me for a moment. Gotta talk with the dimwits; you understand as a leader, right?" I didn't, but before I could retort, his attention turns elsewhere. His eyes practically burn holes into his brothers' heads. "I'm sorry, was I talkin' with you two? Am I even havin' lunch with you two today? _No_. Now hush while I talk business with a client. Capeesh?"

Butch salutes. "Caposh, boss!" he shouts back, loyal to the end. And just like this, his attention is back to his food, which he eats at the speed of sound. I'm mildly impressed with how he's doing that successfully while not choking. Good for him.

"Whatever." Boomer just shrugs, then turns his attention back to the packet in front of him. It looks like he's staring at the same word, but what do I know.

"They act like we ain't discuss this earlier. Dummies..." Brick let's a "tsk" sound under his breath. He leans forward, looking at me. "So."

"So." I suddenly feel uneasy and I look down at my hands. "The situation. Right. So, uh, here's all that happened. Just don't judge me for what I say, okay?" I don't know why I even asked him to do that. There'd be no way he'd fully agree to it.

Brick shrugs. "Judgin' you? I would never. Shit happens. I get that."

At first, I believe him. Then I remember his status. "You're a good liar, I'll give you that. You sounded like you were telling the truth. I was almost convinced you of all people were being honest for a little bit."

"Am I good? Thought I was a lil' rusty, not gonna lie." Brick smirks. "But thanks. Now, go on and spill so I can de-piper ya story."

"Decipher. You mean decipher."

"De-piper, decipher, same difference."

"It really isn't."

"Whatever." He shrugs his mistake away and takes a huge bite of his sloppy joe. The contents come spilling out and down onto his tray. I know that it tastes decent, but watching someone eat a sloppy joe makes my stomach churn.

It hits me that I can't stall anymore, not if I want to solve this problem as soon as possible. I inhale, and everything comes out like a bad case of word vomit that I did not expect. All the events that have occurred, all that I felt then, and all that I feel now come rushing out, starting from the weird dream that I had and ending with my mysterious awakening at the school. His face stays neutral throughout most of my story, though he does scrunch up his face at the part where Mr. Man accuses me of the crime.

"And... that's what... happened..." Catching my breath is harder than I expect. I'm starting to realize why my sisters gave me that diary; I really do talk more than a lot. And I hate to admit it, but talking about it is way better than writing, even if I am spilling all of this to a Rowdyruff Boy.

Brick raises an eyebrow. "Uh... Want a sip?" Awkwardly, he raises up his water bottle.

My mouth opens to argue that no, I definitely did _not _want water that has already been open and sipped on by him, but the only response that comes out is in the form of a bunch of dry coughs. Instincts take over and I lunge over the table, snatching the water bottle from his hands and gulping the cold liquid down.

"Awww." Brick's fingertips press into his cheeks as I set down the now half-empty bottle. "We kissed. If ya want a better one, I can supply it." My look of pure disgust most likely gave an answer enough to his request because, after only a few moments, he scoffs. "Okay, first off, I know ya face is a lie from ya true emotions. Ya wanna _smooch _me. And thirdly—"

"Secondly, then thirdly."

"WHATEVER-LY," Brick huffs out, "I was just kiddin', geez. Haven't ya ever heard a joke before?"

I act like I'm not slightly offended. "You must have never heard a joke. I didn't sense a punchline at all." I shrug.

"Maybe you're just dumb," Brick retorts.

I snort, my eyes rolling. "That's rich coming from someone who said he and his brothers were the dumbest in Townsville." Butch and Boomer looked up at me at the exact same time, and though I didn't respond, the smug smile on my face said enough: _'Yeah, that's right, Brick _did_ say that about you two, his own brothers, right behind your backs! The audacity of the bastard!'_

"Say _whaff _now?" Butch doesn't even stop scorching down his food. I'm still not sure how it's lasting him this long; he's eating at practically the speed of sound!

A frown forms on Boomer's face, but even then, he doesn't look very surprised. "Brick, did you really say that?" he asks in a voice that makes me feel bad for even repeating Brick's words to him. "We're not _that _dumb..."

"Oh, real cute. Now, look what ya did; ya made the babies upset." Brick glares at me, resting his elbows on the table and placing his head in his hands.

"We're _not _babies!" Boomer and Butch shout at the same time, and Boomer sounds a bit more hurt about the whole thing than Butch. However, Brick doesn't even turn towards them to give them a look in response. I know it wasn't directed towards me, but even I feel offended by that.

"What? I just quoted what you said. Bite your tongue next time." I shrug, my lips twitching into a small smirk.

Red eyes stare me down. "You're lucky I can tolerate ya; otherwise I'd punch ya into the wall over there." His head tilts to the wall across from us. "You always looked best bein' crushed by me."

"Heh. Like I'd ever give you the chance to land a punch in the first place." His brothers let out low whistles and snickers at my rebuttal while Brick scoffs. "Now stop changing the subject so we can figure out how to solve all of this mess. Please," I say as nicely as I can, which admittedly isn't very nice at all.

Leaning back on his chair, Brick states, "Well okay, but only cause ya asked so kindly. So, ya probably won't like this, but how's 'bout we—"

The sound of the bell interrupts him. I almost forgot how short a lunch period feels in comparison to classes when you actually have somebody to talk to throughout the whole thing. I'm used to reading and eating during this time, and that feels like a blissful three hours rather than the actual fourty five minutes.

Instead of looking annoyed, Brick just shrugs it off. "Eh. Must be fate for me to not tell ya yet. You'll see soon 'nough."

I don't like the sound of that at all. In fact, it scares me a little. Being kept in the dark has never been my favorite thing in the world. Even the thought of a surprise party gets me paranoid. "But—" I try to argue.

But he's already getting up and throwing his tray in the garbage. "Don't worry, Blossy; I got this!" he calls over his shoulder before grabbing his books and flying on to our next class. The cafeteria clears out quickly, and soon, I'm the only one left in there.

"...Easier said than done, Brick," I mutter, forcing my legs to move on to class. "Easier said than done..."

* * *

Alright, so I didn't think Brick's words would get me this jittery. And yet here I am, in the middle of math class, shaking like I'm salt being poured onto a large meal by a salt-fanatic. Everything Mr. Bennington says is coming in one ear and right out the other. I'm sure he's discussing the latest chapter, but I can't put my heart into listening right now.

Instead, I stare out the window. Ms. Keane gave me a suggestion last year when she saw how stressed I was during the finals at the end of lasts chool year. "Just look outside, breathe slowly, and think positive thoughts," she had said, giving me a contagious smile. "Things work best when you have a clear head."

I stare. I breathe slowly, keeping my hands relaxed on my lap. I stare and inhale, stare and exhale, but every nerve in me feels like it's going haywire. This isn't working at all.

_'Ugh, how am I going to get through this...' _My hands find their way into my hair, tugging slightly at the strands.

_'Don't worry. You got this,' _I hear a voice say, a warm, comforting voice. It sounds way better than the one in my dream.

A quiet sigh escapes me._ 'The only thing I got is a bunch of problems.'_

_'Well, yeah, ya do. But who doesn't? And you can do anything ya put your mind to, right?' _the voice asks.

My lip twist as I force myself to look as though I'm paying attention to the equations on the board in front of me. _'Yeah, I guess...' _

_'Not guess. Know. You're smart. Quick on your feet. And that bow? Nobody can pull it off like you can. I mean, you're Blossom fuckin' Utonium! Nobody out there is doin' it like you!'_

My cheeks begin to burn, and I can't stop the grin that forms on my face. _'You know what? Yeah!' _The nice voice is right. I might have many, many faults, and everything might be going to shit, but still, I can find a solution to all of this if I just keep on trying. _ 'I'm Blossom Utonium, and I—'_

"Blossom and Brick!" Mr. Bennington's voice snaps me out of it, and my heart feels as though it leapt right out of my body. I have to hold on to the desk to not jump. "Since you both decided it's a good idea to chit chat in my class, you both have detention after school with me!"

Wait... _What?_

"Eh, whatever." Brick just shrugs as if nothing went wrong. He glances at me and smiles, and even though it looks genuine, I know it's anything but. That's when it hits me. This must have been his plan the whole time. No wonder he said that I'd hate it at lunch. And he took my chance of weakness to get us here in trouble, right in the middle of math class.

The sneaky son of a bitch...

My mind can't wrap around this whole thing. A small part of me thinks that there's no way I heard Mr. Bennington correctly. Me? In detention? That's never happened and never will happen! Maybe this is some sort of fucked-up dream. Nobody could have heard me. I was merely talking with the very nice voice that was in my head and not out loud to gross Brick Jojo. I let out a slight laugh in disbelief. "I'm sorry, can you repeat that, sir?" I asked kindly.

"Sure, Blossom." The teacher's exaggerated smile screams in sarcasm, and he looks me right in the eye as he walks towards my desk and leans on it, his eyes showing a type of anger I've never seen in a teacher up close before. His breath smells like a mixture of pennies and cigarettes, and I have to refrain from gagging. "Detention. After. School. For you and your best friend Mr. Jojo over there." He looks over at the Rowdyruff, who in turn nods in simple understanding with that stupid grin on his face. "That's final. Understand?" Mr. Bennington's eyes settle back on me.

I want to argue against that best friend line (Didn't Mr. Bennington watch the news enough to see that Brick has literally tried to kill me more than once?), but I hold back. "Detention after school..." I repeat and shrink back in my seat, clutching the end of my light sweater. My nose burns and my heart refuses to stop racing. "Yeah. Got it, sir," I mutter out in reply, and it takes everything in me to ignore the whispers that begin to emerge throughout the classroom and look away from Brick's obvious teasing stare.

* * *

_Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock._

"...I can't believe you thought I was, like, your conscious or somethin'."

"Shut. Up."

My patience has already been low, but now it's at the very lowest it can be. Sitting in detention during the first week of school in the room with the very unnecessarily loud clock along with Mr. Bennington's unnecessarily loud snoring was not in any of my plans at all. Apparently, it was in Brick's, though.

Brick snickers. "Seriously, do ya think with my voice? I mean, I don't blame you. I sound charming as hell." His whisper enters my ears loud and clear, and even though I'm not looking at him, I can tell he's wearing a smirk.

I roll my eyes, staring out the window. The trees dance with one another as the wind blows against them, and I can hear birds chirping and other children laughing. I've never felt more envious in my life than right now. "About as charming as nails scratching on a chalkboard," I hiss back.

"Uh, what's wrong with that sound?" he asks, sounding confused. "I'll have ya know that scratchin' chalkboard sounds way better than, like, a cat meowin' or those shitty pop songs that always come up on people's radios. Music to my ears."

I don't know why I expect him to stay in an intellectual state of mind. He's only like that once in a blue moon apparently. "Ugh. Never mind. Of course, you'd think that."

"Yeah, cause I only think like a smarty-pants. But anyway." Brick changes the subject quickly. "Now that we're alone, we can talk real strategy. I 'unno if you've seen, babe, but they've got cameras throughout this entire school, here included, just above Mr. Benny-boy. Luckily, you're talkin' to an A-1 spy over here."

I have to refrain myself from glancing up to spot the camera. I don't know why, but I feel like looking at it would make me seem like an obvious criminal inspecting the scene. It isn't a shocker that there are surveillance cameras in a school. I mean, most schools have them for safety reasons, and that's understandable. However, it's strange that they're in the classroom. I know for a fact that there haven't been any in previous years... so why now?

"I'm talking with a mediocre villain, but okay," I reply, dismissing the thoughts of cameras out of my head. More cameras could be beneficial for student safety. Townsville isn't exactly the safest city out there, anyway.

"Shh, let me finish, sidekick!" Brick doesn't even give me an opportunity to yell at him for that claim. "So yeah, cameras. Bad news is that the security on 'em is pretty sharp. Like, super sharp. Got those lil', uh, motion sensors on 'em or somethin'. Every time ya move, it blinks and just follows ya." That was also weird. Those are very expensive. How did the school manage to get those? "The good news, though, is that for one, there ain't any mics on 'em so they can't hear us, and two, I can turn 'em off for 'bout twenty minutes tops usin' a super-secret method."

"A... super-secret method?" My eyebrow raises at that. This just screams Rowdyruff Boy plot.

Brick huffs and his pencil scratches just a bit louder on the paper in front of him. "_Yes_, Blossy, keep up with me." Kind of hard to keep up with someone who's clearly hiding methods, but whatever. "Those cameras turn off, then we hurry and investigate. I knew the best time to search for clues would be after school durin' detention. You gave me the greatest opportunity when ya went talkin' to yourself like no one else was there. Mr. Sleeps-A-Lot ain't wakin' up anytime soon, either," he grows a huge grin, "so let's do some real diggin', ya feel me?"

Everything he says to me starts to process slowly, surely, until suddenly everything clicks into place. "Wait, you want us to not only escape detention but sneak around unauthorized, too? Are you crazy!? Of course, I don't 'feel you!'" My eyes struggle to not glare at him, and instead, they settle into a blank stare at the chalkboard. "And if this were the case, why couldn't we just do this without getting detention? I'm already in trouble enough."

The sound of Brick's eraser scraping the surface is a little annoying, but any sound is better than the snoring. "Because, dummy, ya wouldn't have much of a reason to be in the building. We sure as hell can't skip class to look with all those teachers around, now can we? Both of us ain't got no business bein' after school either 'cause we don't do nothin' like sports or arts or whatever. Not bein' in detention makes us look even more suspicious if we were to get caught." I catch him sneaking a quick glance at me before he turns back to his paper. "Which, by the way, we _won_'t if ya can keep up with me. You can keep up with me, right?"

"...Easily." I refuse to admit that he kind of sort of is right about everything. If there's one thing Brick is good at, it's making sure to argue every point of logic I have. It makes me feel both better about the whole thing and a little bit dumb.

"Good. Means ya ain't lose ya spark." The fire building in my cheeks from that line is strong, though Brick doesn't seem to notice. "Now get ready to speed outta here in three... two... one..."

Brick coughs, then I hear the tiniest click sound and an even tinier chuckle that I _know _belongs to Butch. Suddenly, Brick springs up from his seat, flying straight out the open door. Fighting off the intuition to just stay in my seat like the good student I am, I get up and follow him, catching up with him. "Keepin' tabs on time ain't too hard for ya, right?" he asks me.

"Right," I nod in reply.

Deciding to see the current time, I look up at the nearest clock, which reads 3:37 PM. Twenty minutes is too good to be true, and it's better to be early than on time, so fifteen minutes is as far as we're going. Luckily, there seems to be no students or faculty around to question our motives. The hallway is absolutely silent, which is creepy in a way considering it's usually packed and loud.

"I think we should head to the principal's office first," I announce. "He should be gone by now, and I want to make a copy of that video on my USB drive. There has to be something in the video that can help us out."

Brick nods. "We're on the same page," he agrees. "Maybe ya mind is just overthinkin' again. It's probably blindin' ya from important details from the video. But it's okay, babe; Brick's gonna take over and look for ya."

We turn a corner, inspecting the area as we continue to fly to our destination. Still vacant. Thank goodness. "What? I don't overthink that much," I say, my arms crossing. It's true; I don't overthink... I think. Maybe. I don't know—

"See? You're doin' it right now," Brick interrupts. "I know you are 'cause ya always make that face. Your lips do this thing," he says, then his lips twist to the left. "Other times, you sigh, like a lot. It's kinda distractin' really. How the hell don't you notice that?"

"I-I don't know, why are _you_ noticing it? Just how much attention are you giving me in secret?" Ignoring the weird, fluttery feeling in my stomach, I continue to fly, speeding up.

Brick catches up in no time, even flying ahead of me. "As much as I can to get ya annoyed, but it ain't fun when you pay me no attention." He turns around and looks at me with a pout, keeping his composure as he continues to steadily soar the air. Showoff.

I smack my teeth. "Try harder then."

"Don't tempt me, Blossy~" His eyebrows wiggle.

"Ugh..." We finally reach the principal's office, and even though I could scold Brick for almost crashing through the glass on the door (he was _this_ close), I decide to get straight into business while we have this golden opportunity. "Do you see anybody through the door's window at all? Try to stay hidden while you look."

Brick shakes his head as he looks up through the window. "I don't see anyone. Can't hear anything, either." He carefully tries for the doorknob, then smacks his teeth when it refuses to budge. "Shit, it's locked. Hold on, I'll just blast it open!" He gets an evil look in his eye, and literal steam starts to come from his mouth as his smile widens more and more.

"NO!" I dive in front of him, hoping that he wouldn't turn against me and blast me to a crisp. Luckily, he just frowns instead, the smoke going away just as quickly as it came. I lower my voice. "You're going to trigger the fire alarm, and you can't just destroy school property. We'll get caught! Besides, there are better ways to break into rooms. Like..."

My hands search my hair until I find what I'm looking for. The bobby pin is tiny and a bit bent, but it should work just fine if I squint my eyes enough. Brick's eyes never leave me as I shape and alter the pin into something that should be of use. Finally, I head over to the lock, and, after wiggling the bobby pin a few times, I hear the satisfying click, signaling that the door is unlocked.

"There," I sigh, pushing the door open. "See? We can do things without making messes, Bricky. Shocking, I know."

Brick looks genuinely impressed, so impressed that he just ignores one of his most hated nicknames. "Whoa... How'd ya do that? That's kinda cool." His red eyes settle on my bobby pin. "That thing got a hidden key in it or somethin'?"

I walk inside and Brick follows. "That's for me to know and you to never find out. Plus if I told you, you'd break in everywhere," I comment bluntly, closing the door behind us.

"...Points were made." It looked like it took everything inside Brick to agree with me. "Alright, so where the hell do we start?"

We both silently look around the room. Mr. Man's office is a pretty huge space, decorated to the brim. The beige, carpeted ground goes well with the simplistic white walls, and pictures of fruits and inspirational quotes hang up in an orderly fashion. There aren't any typical chairs; instead, there are sofas and even a large couch in the corner of the room. A tall bookshelf is filled completely with various books, most of which look like mystery novels. The desk is huge, and his matching office chair looks more luxurious than others out there. Overall, it seems like the perfect mixture of business and pleasure with just a tad bit more pleasure.

"Great question," I respond to Brick. It's hard to decide where exactly to begin. Instead, I let intuition take over, flying over to the desk. His computer his huge, definitely the latest of its model. "Okay. Once I get on the computer, I'm going to put in this USB here," I inform him, taking off my bow to detach the USB connected inside of it, "We'll download the video instead of watching it repeatedly in here. That way, you can look over it with me during our free period or lunch. I only say it once, and four eyes are better than two. I probably missed something important."

"Because of your overthinking?" Brick asks, tilting his head.

"...Because of my overthinking," I grumble back angrily. Quickly, I turn on the computer. There's no password to enter, and finding the video is easier than I expect. I connect the USB to the computer, and after a couple more clicking, the file begins its download. It only needs three minutes. Professor made sure to create the perfect USB, so even if the connection in here is a bit wonky, the download from the computer to the USB will be as quick as possible.

Brick pats me on the shoulder supportively. "See? First step is admittin' the problem. Nice goin', Blossy." He ruffles my hair and only stops when I swat his hands away. "Also very nerdy of ya to carry this hacker chip in your bow. I knew you'd be the perfect nerdy sidekick spy for me."

I give him a look. "Okay, first of all, it's not a hacker chip. You just use a USB to carry files. And it's smart to carry them around because you never know when—"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, I don't wanna hear 'bout your hacker chip," Brick interrupts, waving dismissively.

I roll my eyes. "And secondly, stop calling me your sidekick. You're _my_ sidekick; I brought you into this operation."

With a small hop, Brick makes his way on top of Mr. Man's desk, and thankfully he doesn't knock down or shift anything value. "And I made the plan. So nah, sidekick." He shrugs, folding his legs on the desk.

"Ugh..." Standing up is getting a bit tiring, so I decide to sit on Mr. Man's office chair for a while. It is way comfier than I thought it would be. Actually, it's a bit too comfy. If I were Mr. Man, I would constantly take a nap the moment my butt met the chair. "Just shut up while this downloads." I lean back and close my eyes, waiting for the download to complete.

"Okay." Brick's voice is nowhere near convincing.

Things rustle and shuffle in the background. "Stop touching things!" I scold him. I feel like I'm a teacher yelling at a four-year-old.

Brick sighs. "I'm like a cat, Blossy. I'm wanna just touch things," he whines out. "...Unless ya want my lips to touch yours—"

"I'd rather not," I respond quickly, mentally gagging.

"Aw babe, don't be such a... liar..." His voice quiets down tremendously. I assume that he's got his hand on a toy or something; I wouldn't be surprised if Mr. Man had one of those lying around considering his office looks more like a living room than a place for business. "This writing here... It looks... familiar," Brick suddenly says aloud.

"Huh?" I open one of my eyes to see Brick staring down at a document. He's pointing down at a verification signature next to one of the amounts. "What's that?" I ask him. The computer beeps, signifying that the download is complete, so I quickly retrieve my USB and shut off the computer.

"It says that it's a, uh... trans-act-ion document." Brick reads the title carefully as his finger traces on the words. "What's that?"

I scoot the office chair closer to the desk, looking down at the document as well. "I'm guessing this is bank transactions. Transferring money, basically," I answer him, scanning the paper as I attach my USB back to my bow. He nods in understanding.

I've seen my fair share of bank transactions thanks to Professor. Whenever he needs help making sure he's reading the right numbers, he calls me down. His eyes aren't that great, even with glasses, so having my help is a blessing to him. This document looks like it holds normal transfers, except for one amount that is. The money under the specific transaction I'm looking at came from someone with one initial, _J._, which also matches the huge J signature next to it. And the amount itself... well, there's a lot of zeroes, that's for sure. Too many zeroes if you ask me.

"I wonder what other things came with the cameras," I mutter, glancing at the description next to the amount: _Payments including surveillance camera_s. Including... why weren't they listed? "How could our school possibly fund this," I look up at Brick, "and how do _you _recognize the most suspicious signature?" Maybe our school has a bigger budget than I thought. Spending this much money on cameras plus other unidentifiable things is definitely suspicious, though. I'm assuming Mr. Man authorized this decision, but I just can't see any logical reason as to why he would ever allow it.

Brick's answer to my other question brings me away from my thoughts. "I 'unno how, I just... know that I've seen it before. I never forget things, Blossy," he says quieter than I expected him to, his thumb tracing the signature. His nose refuses to stop moving, and his eyes squint as he continues to inspect the document.

I know he's a villain, but as I look back and forth from Brick to the paper lying in front of us, I can't help but believe him. He's genuinely concentrating on it, genuinely trying to remember where he's seen the signature. The whole thing is so strange, though. "Hm. Do you think it belongs to, like, one of the staff members here?"

Brick shrugs. "Maybe? But I kinda think that I've seen it—"

"I'm almost in my office now; I have to check something real quick."

We both instantly silence ourselves, staring at the closed door. That wasn't us speaking.

"Is that..." Brick starts.

Unintentionally, I finish his question. "Mr. Man!?" I somehow manage to keep my voice in a sort of mixture of a scream and a whisper.

The footsteps are loud enough, and I suddenly begin to smell the scent of a very strong cologne that I know belongs to Mr. Man. He's here. _Why is he here? _He's coming into the office. _Why is he coming into the office?_

I don't get the time to ponder on it for long. Brick looks me right in the eye. "_Get under the desk,_" he commands in a low voice, stuffing the document back into its original file. "We gotta hide." He easily slips the top of the desk to under it.

During the countdown of hide-and-seek, my mind is always in a panic. There's no way for me to avoid that. But right now, this panic is tenfold of what hide-and-seek panic would be because this is much more serious than getting caught by my sisters and laughing it off. I'm in the principal's office without permission with a villain who also does not have permission, and together, we're sneaking around and digging through stuff that isn't ours, stuff that wasn't meant to be seen by us. There won't be any laughing if we get caught.

This is a crime, and even I can't deny that.

_Click... clack... click... clack..._

My body is frozen in the chair. My eyes won't look away from the door. I can't lie: after every situation I've been through, including the many, many, _many _near-death experiences I've had, this one right here feels the most terrifying at the moment. My heartbeat is loud in my ears and my hands start to get sweaty. I try to swallow, but all that comes down is painful air.

It's the thought of getting caught that's making me like this. I know it is. Mr. Man just told me to be good and stay out of trouble yesterday, and here I am today, right in the smack middle of trouble. I know it's for a good cause, but I feel like the worse superhero right now. It makes me look like I don't listen to or respect my elders.

_Click... clack..._

Brick's voice enters my ears, but the sound of Mr. Man's shoes never entirely goes away. "C'mon Blossy, get a grip and hide down here. Otherwise, I'm blastin' a hole in the wall and we fly outta here that way."

A gasp escapes me. "Don't you _dare_ Brick Jojo," I say through clenched teeth, glaring down at him.

The evil smirk on Brick's face says more than any of his possible sentences could at that moment. He's going to do it if I don't hide. That would make getting caught even worse for us. The difference is while he doesn't give a shit, I do, and he knows that all too well.

The asshole sure does know how to play his cards right, huh?

_Click..._

"What do you mean by that?" The door swings open with a loud squeak at the exact moment I dive under the desk with Brick. Mr. Man smacks his teeth. "Ugh. Of _course_, you did," he says in disdain into his cellphone while I stop the office chair from spinning. "I can never fully depend on anyone who thinks like an animal. So unorganized of you."

To keep from breathing too loud, I place my hands over my mouth. It's hard to not freak out, especially since the space between Brick and I is small and the space under the desk in general is even smaller than I expected. Suddenly, one of Brick's hand falls onto my shoulder, but unlike earlier, he holds me with a little more gentleness. I look at him and he points to his chest, which is moving at a slow and steady rate. I get what he's saying to me. _"Breathe slower. Calm down. Don't let us get caught over somethin' dumb like fear."_

Inhale through the nose, exhale through the mouth. Ms. Keane has told me one too many times that the nose then mouth method of breathing helps in times of panic. Granted, I don't have a window to look out of this time, but I do have my imagination, and some say that one's imagination can be very powerful in the most troubling of times. I close my eyes, separating the sounds in the room. One ear listens to Mr. Man talk on the phone while the other concentrates on Brick, my chest moving in sync with his. And in my mind, I picture a beautiful outdoor scenery, filled with blue skies, tall trees with a bunch of leaves, flowers that move with the wind, and friendly animals the travel freely, interacting with one another in peace.

The sound of Mr. Man jiggling the doorknob enters my left ear. "Hm. I don't remember leaving that unlocked..." he drags out.

My heart literally feels like it has dropped to my stomach, but I refuse to let out a sound of surprise. _'Please don't question it, please don't question it...' _I try to concentrate more on Brick's breathing than the terror, matching his slow and steady breaths.

"Even the secretary here is out of it. What a shame. You tell the woman to lock the door, she simply leaves it unlocked. I'll need to talk to her about the importance of remembering things tomorrow. She's about as forgetful as you, and we both know you're very forgetful, dear." The door shuts with a loud _SLAM_. However, the sound isn't interrupting me in the slightest; in fact, I feel relieved. Mr. Man isn't catching on to anything. He's probably too distracted by the conversation to know that two students were right there in his office. His obliviousness in the situation is the best.

_"Ah, ah, ah. Don't get too cocky, Blossom."_

"Huh!?" I squeak out, then quietly slap my hands to my mouth, noticing that I said that out loud.

Rightfully, Brick glares daggers at me. By the looks of it, it seems that he's saying something along the lines of, _"What the hell, Blossy; why'd ya do that ya damn idiot!?" _But I can't answer him. Not only would the response sound weird as hell ("Oh, well, you know, I heard the creepy voice from my dreams speak to me, and it scared the living shit out of me. I know you didn't hear it, but I did, and you know how it is, right?"), but Mr. Man is right in the room. We both know that he heard me.

There's a pause of conversation. "...Hey, I'll call you back..." Mr. Man says slowly, and the phone beeps as he hangs up. He sets the phone down on the desk, and I see his feet begin to slowly travel the room. "What in the world was that..." he murmurs to himself, and a part of me feels that his voice sounds... enthusiastic? My mind is most likely playing tricks on me; one can't think straight when they're scared out of their mind after all.

The silence that followed was worse than anything. I don't know how, but all of a sudden, I can feel his eyes on the floor near the other side of the desk. The air suddenly feels suffocating and chilly, as if needles were floating all through it. Some needles get stuck in my throat, and it takes everything in me to not cough. The slow breathing method is falling from my grasp rapidly, so I hold my breath instead in an attempt to stay as silent as possible. However, that just makes things feel worse. My heartbeat gets faster, louder, and my eyes begin to water...

And then, I see it. Smoke.

The smoke isn't heavy—I can't even smell it, to be honest—but I can tell it's there. It travels slowly, steadily, climbing higher and higher. And once it gets near the fire alarm, the alarm rings all throughout the school in a snap. The sound almost makes me jump up in a panic, though even if I did, Brick's still got his hand on my shoulder, keeping me steady and a little bit relaxed.

I hear Mr. Man huff before his footsteps begin to retreat. "Stupid alarms..." I hear him say before he opens the door and exits the office.

Brick wastes no time. "C'mon, let's bounce!" he whispers, grabbing me by my sweater sleeve and hurrying to open a window. I just follow the motions, even though my legs feel like a huge serving of jelly. We both climb out and, after he closes the window, sneak into the nearest pile of students. Nobody gives us a weird or suspicious look; we snuck in well enough I guess. "Look natural," he whispers in my ear. I only nod in response, scanning the area with a calm composure.

"There you guys are!" We both turn to see Mr. Bennington head towards us. His face is red and he's got drool all on his cheek, but we make no comment on it. "You guys didn't want to wait for me, huh?" he asks, crossing his arms.

With a shrug, Brick responds, "Not our fault you're so slow." He gets ready to laugh, but my elbow hits his side before he gets the chance. "Ow!"

"Sorry, sir. We were just making sure that all the other students made it out safe and sound in an orderly fashion. You know how some students goof around and don't take fire drills seriously." I fake a smile, which is becoming easier and easier by the day.

"I know that all too well..." Mr. Bennington looks up in thought as if he were going on a mental journey all on his own. "Well. It's been about an hour since school has let out anyways, so you two are free to go. I hope you both have learned your lesson. Don't bring the noise to my classroom again, got it?"

I nod in compliance. "Alright, Mr. Bennington." Brick just copies my nod, not making another comment (thankfully).

Once the alarm stops ringing, Brick and I head back to where we were having detention, grab our bookbags, and head out of the building. When we're far enough from the school, Brick lets out a loud laugh. "Well, that was a close one! It was so fuckin' cool how we hid from that guy! And when I started that fire alarm? Genius thinkin'! I knew I was smart! Luckily we ain't get... caught..." He stops once he catches sight of my face. I wouldn't be able to hide this frown even if I desperately wanted to. Brick groans. "Ya sad face is pathetic. Are ya overthinking again?"

"...Maybe..." I respond back, sliding against a tree and onto the ground.

Brick might be satisfied with how things went, but I'm not. I ruined our mission. We could have found out more once he left; we had a good nine minutes left before it would have been time to retreat. Now Mr. Man is going to be even more suspicious. What if he installs more cameras throughout the school? Or worse, what if he already knows that I'm the one who was in his office? This might be big enough to get me expelled!

Brick lets out a sigh, rolls his eyes, and slides onto the ground next to me. "Okay. Look. We're gonna figure this shit out 'cause let's face it, we're both smart as fuck. I mean, you were smart enough to take me down a couple times in the past."

"All the time, actually," I correct him quickly, mostly out of habit.

However, Brick isn't fazed by this. "Eh, I think I'm smarter with some things. Like smooth talkin'. Your game is as bad as Mr. Man's haircut."

I let out a short laugh. "Rude, considering his hair is ugly..." I admit, giggling some more.

"Isn't it? Havin' two hairstyles in one is a brave choice. Curvy in the front with a mixture of curly and straight in the back? Even I ain't got the balls for that move. His tacky clothes just make it three times worse." His laugh blends in with mine to the point where it's almost terrifying. We both have... pretty ugly laughs actually. The snorting doesn't make it any better. When we're done, he adjusts the hat on his head, exhaling. "Phew. Ya know what I've got the balls to do, though?" he asks me, looking my way.

"What?" I look back at him. "Testing Mr. Bennington's patience by disrupting class again?"

"Well that, too. But also to solve shit for the chance at kickin' your ass with grades and future fights. So, uh, let's get the chance to fight again. You're... my greatest opponent..." The last part of the sentence is grumbled, and he looks down at his shoes as he says it.

"Sorry, what was that last part?" I lean closer to him, batting my eyes. "I couldn't hear you~ Sounds like you admit that I'm, like, one of your favorite opponents. That's wild Brick. Me, your favorite?" I touch my heart and close my eyes with a smile on my face. "I'm touched."

"Just sh-shuddup!" Pushing me to the side, he crosses his arms and pouts, which makes me laugh even harder. And even though he tries to hold them in, he lets out a couple of chuckles himself. "But for real," he starts again, "we got the video, so we're gonna look it over. We're gonna look more into that transferring mumbo-jumbo and find out how I know the signature from that J guy. Just 'cause ya slipped up a lil' don't mean ya failed yet, so don't go thinkin' that. We discovered a lot today, and we're gonna keep discoverin' shit until we form a big picture." His nose wiggles a bit before he holds his hand out towards me, getting up from his spot. "We got a deal?"

All I can do is stare up at him in shock. That speech not only made sense, but it was oddly inspirational. Seriously, if Brick were a good guy, he'd do some amazing Ted Talks. Maybe he could do villain Ted Talks... Actually, I wonder if he gives his brothers pep talks before they go destruct things. That'd be kind of cute. "...Yeah," is all I can answer, taking a hold of his hand. He helps me up easily. "Deal."

There's this look of pure astonishment in Brick's eyes, one which isn't of any evil or mischievous intent. "Shit. We're really partners in somethin', huh?" he breathes out, laughing a little.

I stuff my hands into my jean pockets. "Mhmm. Like Sherlock Holmes and Watson," I respond.

Confidently, Brick places a hand on his chest. "And _I'm_ Holmes, of course."

"You know what? Okay, Holmes." I decide to let him win, just this once. He deserves it after cheering me up. "Watson is a much more interesting character to me. Besides, Brick Jojo lets himself be whoever he wants. Who am I to deprive him of his need to be the main character?"

"Exactly. You're finally understandin' me." With a smirk, he shrugs his bookbag over his shoulders. "My bros are most likely doin' dumb shit without me. Probably started a fire or a tornado. Catch you later?" He glances back at me.

"Not like I have a choice, unfortunately," I sigh, shaking my head. "Might catch you sooner if you and your brothers mess up something."

Brick raises an eyebrow. "You sound strangely excited 'bout that," he replies playfully, floating up into the air. He presses his fingertips on his cheeks. "Awwww, did wittle Ms. Powa-puff miss our fights?" he asks teasingly.

Of course he teases me back. He can never let me win in that department. "N-No!" I shout defensively. My cheeks grow hot.

"Hmm... Okay then."

"Brick. I'm serious. Look at my face. It's screaming serious."

"O-_kay_ Blossom. I believe you." Brick's voice is so stale and robotic that it's hard not to slap him in the face for it. Expectedly, he shouts a loud, obnoxious, "_NOT!_" and sticks his tongue at me.

I huff. "You're the WORST!" I stick my tongue right back at him, and he gives me a look that says, "I know~" before flying away for good.

Once he's gone, I wait for my heartbeat to slow down a little. After a tiny debate with myself, I decide to fly home. I could walk, but I really want to be in my bed as quickly as possible. It still looks nice out, so I'm sure my sisters won't be back home for a while. That's kind of good. I always feel so small when they come home and see that I'm alone at home again. By the time they get back, I'll be helping Professor with preparing dinner.

I remove my bow and grab the USB from it. "What the hell is going on..." I can't help but ask myself. Carefully, I fiddle with the USB as I begin to fly home. "First the video, and now weird money transactions? This doesn't make any sense."

The creepy voice fills my mind again. _"The best part of the game is finding things out. Keep searching, you curious cat," _it dares me with a sinister giggle. _"Otherwise, things will get worse for you. That won't be very fun for you, but _I_ sure will have a blast."_

Breathe in through the nose. Breathe out through the mouth. "I will keep searching," I respond simply, ignoring the obvious threat I just heard from the voice along with all the doubts floating in my head. I clutch my bookbag and begin my flight home. "I... I will," I repeat aloud, more to myself than to anyone else, ignoring the sting in my eyes.

Inhale. Exhale. Inhale... Exhale...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N Somehow, amidst all my studying for finals and an immense amount of accounting/creative writing work, I have dropped another chapter! Longest one yet! I can't believe I've updated this for 5 straight months now. This is my greatest achievement since trying cream cheese on Ritz crackers...
> 
> Anyway. More lore! But still so much to think about, right? I'm trying not to give everything away, but I've never done mystery or suspense, so bear with me. Your girl is trying her hardest in these difficult times.
> 
> This is the first chapter that isn't revised, which means it's completely new, even to me! And it was so hard yet so fun to write! Making this story unfold is one of my favorite things to do when I have the time to do it.
> 
> Thank you for the comments and kudos! I really appreciate it; it drives me to write chapters way quicker than expected. I hope to bring more of these monthly updates to you all, and I hope you're still enjoying this. Maybe I'll be able to do two chapters in either December or January since I won't be on campus for those months due to an internship, which is better than taking six classes, heh. But seriously, thank you again and see you guys in the next update! :)
> 
> (Also all of a sudden, I have so many story ideas... It's wild how the mind just... creates so much, aha.)


	6. The Not Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This ISN'T a date, okay? Okay.

**Chapter 6: The Not Date**

_Dear Diary,_

_In the past few weeks, the voice in my head has been growing stronger. I don't know how to turn it off; I'm beginning to believe that it's impossible. The more the days go on, the more persistent it becomes. And I can't lie: it's terrifying. Its words make me feel something I've never felt before. Describing the emotion in written form is too hard for me. Just know that it isn't really good._

_At times like this, it's best to be at least a bit positive. I know venting is healthy, but thinking about the good is just as healthy. Bad times are just times that are bad. Besides, there's a ton of good in my life! I'm excited that it's getting colder outside because that means that the holidays are right around the corner! I already have Christmas gift ideas for my sisters and Professor, so I can't wait to give them out, even if the family is still a little tense._

_Things at school are looking up, too. Midterm season is approaching, and I feel like I'm ready to take them. Not a lot of people are eyeing me as much as they have in the past, either. The attention span of a typical junior high student is tiny, which is a blessing. Once they find out about another drama incident, they go on and focus on that while forgetting about the last case. Circle of life, I guess._

_And Brick Jojo... Admittedly, he's still been pretty spot on with things. Times in class aren't too bad. He'll tease me relentlessly, but teases back or reminders about the horrors of detention are usually all it takes to at least quiet him down. His grades have been pretty okay, too, definitely an improvement from when he first started attending school. I'm actually astonished by how quickly he's able to learn when he really puts his mind to it. The teachers say that I'm doing a great job, so hopefully, things stay like this._

_A few weeks have passed since Brick and I continued our investigation together, though. I believe we should get back on that. We've yet to look over the video because it's been hard to find a good time to do it during school. I feel like it's necessary to look at it, especially since we can't find any other leads as good as that. When, though, I'm not sure right now._

_So, yeah. Life is a bit hectic. But I know that with more research on the case, everything will be back to normal before I know it. All I can really do now is work towards my goal and hope I reach it._

_Wish me luck,  
_ _Blossom Utonium_

* * *

As the bus pulls up to the school, I place my diary in my bookbag, making sure it's buried deep enough for my liking. A part of me always feels like someone can easily snatch it from me, and if these words were ever stated out loud, I'd run away to who knows where.

The air is crisp and the late November wind is an instant wake up call as it slaps me in the face. I bring my black jacket closer to me, rushing inside to the warmth of the school. I'm greeted by the usual noisy hallway, just as active as always.

"Is that my least favorite Powerpuff Girl I see?" I hear and turn to see Brick speeding through the halls. Sadly, he does not lose his footing, even with the untied shoes. What a tragedy. "My terrible Watson!" Once he reaches me, he throws an arm over my shoulder, grinning.

Instead of pushing him away, I just huff out some air. "Oh wow, my least favorite Rowdyruff: wannabe Sherlock Holmes. What a great surprise." My voice comes out dry and sarcastic.

His smile wavers. "Don't disrespect me. I'm everything Holmes is plus more."

"Sure you are, Bricky." I let out a giggle at his scoff. Now I can see why he teases me so much; it's such a fun thing to do, especially when he reacts to it. "What're you doing here anyway? You're never this early." I raise an eyebrow, eyeing one of the hanging clocks on the walls. Nowadays, Brick made it into the school with only a few seconds to get to class. To see him thirty minutes before class has even started is a little bizarre.

He notices my suspicion fairly quickly. "Chill Blossy, I ain't doin' anything bad... Yet." He grows an insincere grin.

"Brick..." My eyes narrow at him.

"Kiddin', I'm kiddin'!" Brick raises his hands in defense as we reach our lockers. It wasn't a surprise that the teachers placed ours right next to each other; I feel like they want me to be around him all the time so I can check on him. "Okay, well, since Boom's in the stupid school play—" Brick starts.

"I'm sorry, Boomer's in the _play_?" I interrupt him, eyes wide. "As in the spring school play? Here? At Pokey Oaks?"

Brick nods slightly. "Yeah, he got the lead or somethin', whatever the hell that means. He's takin' it so seriously though, so I ain't been able to bother him much. I mean, I still make fun of him 'cause who wouldn't, but instead of his usual whinin', he literally just shrugs it off! It's like I'm a ghost to him! Bullshit, right?"

"Sure." I couldn't really relate to what Brick said (I'm not dependent on making my siblings' life a living hell like he is), but I decide to just brush it off rather than stating that aloud.

"Between his rehearsals and Butch's whole extensive training sessions both before and school—which, I don't even know _why _he's doing that, to begin with 'cause he says it's a fuckin' secret—I'm _bored_," Brick complains, throwing his locker open dramatically. From the corner of my eye, I can see that he has a deep frown on his face, one that is pretty unfamiliar to me. "So I came early to bother ya. It's... It's the only thing I got goin' for me right now."

I don't know what shocks me more, the fact that Boomer got the lead of the school play and Bubbles didn't tell me or the fact that the notorious Rowdyruff Boys weren't hanging around each other much at school. I always thought those three boys were peas in a pod all the time, even when they got into their fights. They really do have different personalities and hobbies... And Bubbles and I really don't talk as much anymore. We usually tell each other everything, minus some deep stuff. Now it's been months since we've held a genuine conversation. This hurts a bit more than I would think it would.

"...Wanna do something after school, then?" I ask as I open my locker. I don't know why I'm offering this to him of all people. Maybe because I can relate to his boredom. With my sisters busy most of the time, I don't have anything much to do outside of homework assignments anyway. Productivity is better than standing idly by in these times, and with a packed school schedule filled with many students around us, it's kind of hard for us to find some alone time to do what we need to prove my innocence. "It's for our investigation," I quickly add.

"Oh, back to Holmes and Watson!" I can see a look of excitement in Brick's eyes, replacing his previous emotion instantly. When he genuinely smiles, I notice that his eyes crinkle and his nose twitches a bit. It's kind of cute when I ignore the fact that he's tried to kill me in the past.

"Yeah, back to that. We haven't had the chance to look over that video in depth together, and we need to find out more quickly before something else might happen. I think a random, unexpected day like tomorrow would work in our favor." I fiddle with the bow on top of my head. I know it's very unlikely, but I've been constantly messing with it, just to make sure the USB is still attached. As always, it's right there, safe and sound. "We can also take that time to do some academic studying while we're at it," I comment, glancing at my books in my locker.

Brick looks less pleased. "_Academic studying_? Sounds lame," he complains in a deadpan tone. Lazily, he tosses his book bag into his locker, followed by his jacket.

"Yes, studying. Don't act like I didn't see your recent math score on our last test. You're not using your full knowledge; I know you can do better." I cross my arms and eye him.

With a smack of his teeth, Brick scowls, grabbing a singular orange notebook. Unlike me, Brick only used one notebook throughout the day. I don't know how he can manage all his classes with one itty bitty thing, but different methods work for different people. "Bennington sucks, though! I don't understand what he's sayin' half the time." He tucks a pencil behind his ear.

My lip twists. "Maybe if you'd stop getting distracted trying to distract me, you'd understand what's going on," I argue.

Brick shakes his head. "Nuh-uh. Never. If I can do it in other classes and pass, then I can do it there, too."

"Then if you don't wanna give that up, we're studying. That's final Brick." He lets out a loud groan of disdain, but I ignore it. "As I said, let's try after school tomorrow for all of this. Just because we're being detectives doesn't mean we get to slack off with school work. Sherlock Holmes would still do his homework assignments."

"Because Watson would make him. But ugh. Fine." With a sigh, he slams his locker. He gives it a gentle pat when I glare at him. It's bad enough that the lockers here are falling apart; with his superhuman strength, I give his locker a solid week and a half before the door really begins to give out. "Studying it is. So... This is a date, isn't it?"

A _what_?

The world feels like it both pauses it fast forwards all at once. That word. _Date. _It's so foreign to me. Even more than that, it came out of the mouth of someone I would have never expected. And I can't stop my mind from thinking on what it would be like, what it would _feel _like, going on a date with Brick Jojo. The only response I get to the thought is a swarm of butterflies in my stomach. It must be from disgust or something. I don't even understand how that thought entered his tiny brain!

"Wh- no! It's just studying with a little investigation It's more of a hang out session than a... you know." Everything feels hot all of a sudden, causing me to stuff my once needed jacket right into my locker in a messy clump.

A smug look grows on Brick's face. "_Sooooo_, that's actually code for investigative study date, right? Not my idea of a first date with ya, but I'm down for whatever." Shrugging, he stuffs his hands in his pockets and leans against his wobbly locker, the tiniest hint of a smirk on his lips.

"Listen to me. I am assuming you're capable of listening."

"I'm not, babe, ya know this already."

"This is just going to be half studying, half figuring stuff out. That's it, Brick."

"Okay." The smirk grows bigger.

I huff out air, pinching my nose for a bit. "You know, I really hate when you do that." My sweaty hands somehow grab a good enough hold on my books and pencil case.

Brick tilts his head. "Do what?" he asks, batting his eyelashes with a cocky grin. He knew that I knew that he was winning this teasing war. It's unfair how easily he can read me and rile me up.

"Say 'okay.' You don't believe me when you say that." I don't face him, because I know that if I do, he'll comment on my blushing cheeks. I can feel them burning.

Brick grips onto my shoulder lightly, and I swear my cheeks burst into complete flames. "Oh, Blossy. You're absolutely right. I don't believe you. Not at all. Plus, I can see you blushing from here, so I dunno why ya tried to hide it from me." He ruffles my hair, then I hear his footsteps begin to fade. "Anyway see you at our DATE on THURSDAY, WHICH IS TOMORROW AFTER SCHOOL!" he shouts obnoxiously, then he speeds to class.

"You JERK!" I yell back, and my only response is his laughter from far away. Slowly yet surely, my cheeks go back to their proper color, and I sigh in relief. Hopefully, they won't return when I have to sit next to him during classes.

For a moment, I almost forgot we were at school. Things at that moment felt... well, better than usual believe it or not. Talking to Brick is about the most going on in my social life, and despite the fact that he irks my nerves beyond belief, the interactions we share are slight highlights of my day. But it's the staring and whispers from others that bring me back to reality. I shake my head, trying to clear my mind.

"_Oh, a date with a Rowdyruff~_" A sadistic giggle swirls in my head. "_How scandalous, Blossom! What would your sisters think of that?_"

My stomach drops. I should be used to this voice by now, but honestly, it never fails to make me jump in fear. "Leave me alone. And it's not a date," I mutter back, double-checking my locker to make sure I grabbed everything necessary.

"_Hard pass, dear. I can't just leave when things are starting to pick up, now can I_?" The voice lets out another high pitched laugh. "_Besides, this date is the most interesting thing in your life right now. Brick isn't the only one who has been bored, you know._"

I try not to take offense to that. "You can leave out of my head. Like, you have the freedom to go and never ever come back to my 'boring' life. And yet again, it's _not _a date."

The voice hums. "_Ah. Hm. Interesting. If it's not a date, then why oh why are you thinking about outfit combinations?_" it argues.

"That's because... Well, I..." I try to search for reasons, but none come up. The word 'date' refuses to leave my brain. Suddenly, my arm acts on its own, slamming my locker shut. The door clicks in an unnatural way, but I'm too mad to care at the moment. "Oh, shut _up_!" I shout in aggravation. Naturally, others look my way in curiosity, but I try not to pay too much attention to them as I speed to class.

The voice lets out a long, dramatic sigh. "_Fine, I'll leave you be for now. But I'll be back soon~_" it sings, fading away.

"Please don't. Just... go away," I beg quietly, hoping that my words will work. "_Please_."

But there's no response. They'll probably be back soon.

Great. Just my luck.

* * *

Escaping school feels like a breath of fresh air. As I sit on the noisy bus towards the front, I look out the window, trying to focus on the scenery around me. The cloudy skies and light rain is a comforting sight to see. Some might think it's dull to look at, but for me, things like water droplets falling off of tree leaves are absolutely gorgeous.

Once the bus reaches my stop, I walk through the front door, exclaiming the usual, "I'm home!" to Professor. The downstairs view is yet again welcoming. My nose picks up the smell of something good—I think it might be a dish that includes chicken.

The Professor pops up from the kitchen. "Hi, sweetie. You had a good day at school today?" he asks, a gentle smile on his face.

I shrug. "It was an okay day."

"Okay is better than no-kay." With a slight snort, he rubs his slightly dirty hands on his 'Hungry, I'm Dad' apron.

I let out a laugh. Dad jokes are absolutely terrible and have no right to make anybody so much as stifle a chuckle, but Professor's delivery on them make them a tad bit funny. "True," I agree, nodding my head. He does have a point. I've had worse school days. "I'm going up to do homework. See you at dinner time; it smells great so far!" I give him a quick kiss then begin heading up the stairs.

"Thanks, and see you at dinner!" I hear him call back happily.

I enter my room, tossing my bag on my bed. It takes me a moment to realize that I'm not alone. "Oh. You're... you're home," I state lamely, turning to face Bubbles. She's standing in front of her vanity mirror, checking on her skin. She recently started using this all-natural face mask, probably to ensure that her skin was perfect for her performance in spring. From the looks of it, I can tell that it's definitely working.

Bubbles turns and gives me a small, unfamiliar smile, one that doesn't sit very well with me. It looks... forced. "Yeah. Both Buttercup and I are. I don't have rehearsal today; Ms. Spring is giving us the day off."

"Nice, nice." I nod in understanding, floating to sit on my bed. The chances of this happening are rare.

Silence follows. My fingers drum against my thighs, and I swing my legs. This would be the part of my day where I would pace around the room, debating on what to do, but all ideas are blank with my sister around. I'm truly not used to being near others for hours, so the new presence is a bit overwhelming. Deep down, I feel the voice's aura arise within me, and I hold in a gasp of pain.

It wants to talk again. I won't let it.

"So!" I say, louder than needed. Internally, everything feels like lava, but I try to simmer it down as best as possible. "I... I heard Boomer's in the play. What's that like?" I decide to ask.

"...I don't know." Bubbles shrugs, then turns to me again. "He's... trying? And that's really weird. But he's good when he gets the hang of things. And he isn't doing anything terrible to sabotage the play. Overall, everything is way easier than I thought it'd be. Just a little... competitiveness between us, but that's it." Her words are quite a bit to take in since they're a bit vague, so all I can do is a nod in response. I get ready for more awkward silence, but luckily, Bubbles fills in the silence quickly. "How was detention with Brick? You know, weeks ago."

My eyes widen. "You know about that?" If there was one thing I didn't want, it was news of this spreading. Then again, we _are _in school. Once our class saw with their own eyes what happened, my future was set in stone.

Bubbles lets out a laugh through her nose. "Well, yeah. Almost everyone in our grade knows at this point. Well, _knew_. It was talked about a lot before, but things have died down after the drama with... Princess." Her eyes fall to the floor.

I visibly cringe more from the mentioning of Princess than me. I only heard a few things about that, but the words 'Princess' and 'costume switch' don't sit well at all. I kind of want to ask more about it because I'm sure Bubbles knows all the details, but I'm not that big on gossip that doesn't involve me in it and she doesn't look very comfortable with this topic. "Let's just say my detention day was shitty," I decide to reply bluntly, changing the subject.

"Blossom!" Of course, Bubbles gasps. It's pretty rare that I let out a curse word in front of her, and every time that I do, she gets more and more shocked. If it were Buttercup, however, she would've let it slide. Buttercup curses too much for her own good nowadays; only Professor can stop her at this point.

"What, it was!" I take off my boots then place them underneath my bed in an orderly fashion. "He was drawing, and the sound was so annoying. And then he wouldn't stop whispering to me throughout the entire time. The teacher was asleep, so he never got in trouble for it." My legs cross upon my bed, and my hands fall onto my lap.

"What is up with the whispering? Boomer does the same exact thing. I mean, most is to himself, but I feel like he knows it'll get a reaction out of me! Hold on." After floating to the door, Bubbles pokes her head out of it. "Buttercup!" she calls. No answer. "_BUTTERCUP!_" she screeches louder, and even though I know it's a bit too late, I cover my ringing ears. I feel like every year, her scream somehow gets louder. By the time we're adults, she'll be a danger to society.

"Geez, I'm _comin'_ Bubbs!" we hear Buttercup call from below. In a flash, she flies into the room, eyebrow raised. "What's the emergency?"

A small smile forms on my face. "Well, it's not an emergency," I begin to explain.

"It's a question!" Bubbles continues. She skips over to my bed, sitting next to me.

Buttercup's look doesn't change. "Okay, shoot," she replies, crossing her arms.

"Does Butch... Aha..." Bubbles looks at me and we both explode into giggles. Buttercup lets out an impatient huff, and we quiet down. "Sorry, sorry. Does Butch, like, whisper to you? Specifically during class when you're supposed to be quiet?"

A spark flares in Buttercup's eyes as she closes the door in a hurry. "Ugh, _yes_! And the little shit _never _gets caught!" Her voice combines into a sort of whisper-scream, and she settles on my bed next to us.

"Same!" Bubbles exclaims.

"I swear those Rowdyruff Boys never get in trouble, but the moment I even open my mouth, it's automatic detention! The favoritism!" With a pout, Buttercup glances at me. "And speakin' of detention, Bloss, heard ya got it a few weeks back? If so, whoa. Welcome to the club, sis." She gives me a cheeky grin, lifting up her hand for a high five.

I let out a sigh. "I am _not _giving a high five to detention," I say, giving Buttercup a disgusted look instead.

"C'mon Blossom!" Bubbles urges. "Welcome to our club~" She playfully pokes me, and she and Buttercup laugh so hard, tears begin to form.

I groan, but I still laugh along with Bubbles and Buttercup anyway. Those two have gotten detention before, Buttercup way more than Bubbles, but I never have. It does make me feel a bit better that I'm not the only superhero out there with her tiny school flaws, though.

"This has been dumb," Bubbles suddenly says, and Buttercup and I lower down our laughs to hear her out. "The quiet. I miss talking with you, Blossom. And I'm sorry." She looks down at her lap. "I just couldn't get the thought of you and the bunny... I don't even know why I could ever even think that you could possibly do that. I should've never doubted you, not even for a second." Her voice grows quiet, unsure.

One of my hands gently lands on top of Bubbles's. "No, I'm sorry. I should have talked it out with you, but instead, I was a coward. We're supposed to hash things out, but I just let everything form into a mess. I could've been a better sister, but I wasn't."

"No, _I'M _sorry." Buttercup places her hands on her hips, looking at the ceiling dramatically.

My eyes shift to my other sister. "What the heck are _you _sorry for, Buttercup? You weren't even in this!" I playfully push her.

Buttercup sticks her tongue out at me. "I dunno. I just wanted to feel included. There was a whole bunch of sorries goin' around." I roll my eyes at her response while Bubbles lets out a giggle. "But great! You guys apologized, which means that everything's back to normal. Now hug so we can get on with our lives." She grabs our arms and poorly attempts to make us hug. It's more like a terrible game of Twister, though.

"Only if you join in, Buttercup!" Somehow, Bubbles untangles Buttercup's arm mess, making us all hug. Buttercup lets out a groan, but still leans in and hugs us the tightest of all. With a huge smile on my face, I enjoy this feeling, making sure to soak in every last bit of love from it.

Everything is quiet as we never let go. And for the first time in a long time, the quiet is welcoming.

* * *

"_You know, I would've gone with the outfit that had sparkles. This one is too plain and boring. Who are you trying to impress here Blossom? Because it can't be Brick._"

A sigh escapes me as I lean my head on one of my hands, an elbow rested on one of the tables of Riley's Cafe. After a few more conversations at school the previous day, Brick and I decided to meet here since it was a pretty lowkey and not-so-popular spot. It'd be a miracle if someone we knew were to find us here together.

I debated on telling my sisters about my meeting with Brick earlier but decided against it last minute. A part of me knew that they would object to it and would instead volunteer to help me. But Brick and I already made a deal, and despite my better knowledge, I refuse to back down from it. Plus, we're making progress this way. Adding more people into the investigation would just make things messier and more complex, and I didn't have time for that. Besides, Bubbles and Buttercup are busy and have their own lives. Getting them to stop just for me isn't worth it.

"_Did you have to wear the bow? I mean come on, you aren't five anymore darling. Let. It. Go._"

Instead of whispering an angry reply, I just sit there quietly, tapping my fingers on the table to make some other sound. The cafe isn't silent, but the music is too country for me to fully pay attention to it. It's been a couple of hours since I last responded to the voice. I think the key to it going away is by completely disregarding it altogether. However, it doesn't like when I ignore it.

"Now_ when he sees you through a window and decides to never enter the cafe due to your lack of taste, don't come crying to me since you've decided to ignore me, the best thing that has ever happened to you._" Correction: it absolutely _loathes _when I ignore it. It is kind of similar to Brick actually. I don't know why the people who claim to hate me the most also hate when I ignore them; you'd think they'd be overjoyed by my silence.

My eyes settle on the door for what feels like the millionth time. Am I surprised that Brick is late? Not really. Did I expect better from him, though? Kind of. He knows how important this is to me... But maybe that's why he's toying with me right now.

"_Eager to see him, aren't we?_" I roll my eyes at the voice. I'm only eager to get this over with. The quicker we find answers here, the quicker I can go home.

The entrance of the cafe rings a beautiful tune as Brick finally strolls in. His bookbag is slung over his shoulders lazily and his hands are stuffed in his trusty red jacket. In my opinion, it's a bit too thin for fall—his constant shivering shows that he's cold—but maybe it's his favorite or something. It takes everything in me to not wear my favorite pieces of clothing every week. When his eyes find me, he lifts his head in greeting, a small smirk on his face.

"Geez, couldn't get us any snacks? Not even a drink?" he asks as he slides in the booth next to me. He shrugs his bag off his shoulders and twists his cap slightly. "Ya know, my favorite drink is green tea. As for snacks, I love a good chocolate chip muffin."

"No. You don't deserve a drink or snack since you're late," I reply bluntly with a deep frown. Even if he were on time, I wouldn't get him anything. That would make this more like a date, and it isn't that all.

The voice comes back to tease. "_Lying gets you nowhere, Ms. Utonium._" I hold back a growl. If there was one thing I didn't like, it was being accused as a liar by some random entity who didn't even know me. No matter what it claims, it has no clue who Blossom Utonium truly is, and it never will.

"Harsh." Brick doesn't seem wavered by my comment at all. If anything, he seems even more hyped up. It's as if I'm unable to faze him most of the time with words. "Well, it's lovely to see ya outside of school, Blossy. Nice outfit. Different from school. Fits ya nicely. Ya come here often?"

"_He noticed _this _mediocre outfit? Shocker._" A snort followed by laughter circle my head.

Ignoring Brick's compliment and the voice's diss, I roll my eyes. "You've seen me outside of school plentiful of times. This isn't new."

Brick raises a hand, dismissing my words. "True, but this _is _new, completely new. Before, we were fightin', fist to fist. And now, we're fightin' vocally on a one-on-one da—"

"—Do _not _say it," I blurt out way more frantically than expected. The butterflies enter my stomach again, this time more persistent. _Date._ I feel like I'm simultaneously going to float and puke just by thinking the word.

Brick shuts his mouth, but his eyes gleam in amusement. "Okay, I'll chill. But ya know what this is."

_Date. Date. It's a date. _"Ugh, sh-shush and move over a bit." I wouldn't have been able to stop that singular stutter even if I tried with all my might. My body jitters slightly as Brick moves over, getting me easier access to my bookbag. From there, I pull out my laptop. The mass collection of sticks with uplifting quotes and memorable female figures are all fading away, and there are little chips and cracks on it from the mass amount of times I've dropped it while watching videos before bed. "It's pretty beat up since I've had it for practically my whole life, so it's gonna take a while to load and everything," I explain, noticing Brick eyeing my laptop. "While I'm setting things up, you can pull out today's math homework. There should be more than enough time for you to get started."

"What if I didn't bring it? What if this bag is filled with a weapon that'll immobilize you?" Brick's eyes crinkle slightly as he holds in a laugh.

"Oh don't worry! I have extra copies along with notes and a calculator." A huge smile spreads on my face, and I point to the items poking out of my bag. "And you act like you haven't been beaten by me before. It's a cakewalk at this point." I cross my arms, staring him down.

His shoulders stiffen as he stares back at me. For a moment, we keep looking at each other, refusing to look away. But after a while, Brick drops his guard and with a huff grabs his trusty notebook and pencil. "Asshole." He drops the notebook on the cafe table loudly.

I shrug. "I give off energy that I'm given, Bricky."

A '_tch_' sound escapes him, but he doesn't retaliate anymore with words. He has a pout on his face the moment he opens his notebook. He has these little self-made tabs to separate each subject with cute doodles on them; math is the very last one, and on the tab is a drawn monster who's frowning. The moment Brick is face to face with his homework, he lets out a sigh then gets straight to work. His nose scrunches up at some points, and any time a random strand of his untamed hair falls onto his lips, he just blows out air to push it back. And when it looks like he finally understands how to do a certain problem, his lips curl up just a tiny bit and his nose wiggles.

"_Like what you see?_"

"Yes..."

"Hm?" Brick's eyes glance up to look at me.

And just like that, the magic is gone and I'm brought back to horrifying reality. It takes me a while to realize what just happened. That wasn't Brick who asked that. And even if it wasn't, I answered rather bluntly, _way_ too bluntly. My cheeks flush completely at the thought. "I-I mean, _yes_. As in, I have my USB. Thought I left it at home. I was talking to myself." My shaky hands fly to my bow, removing the data stick. I try not to be too affected by the voice's evil cackle.

Brick's nose scrunches up a little. "Ain't that hacker chip always attached to your bow though? You couldn't have left it at home 'cause it's literally always with you."

The more he speaks, the more idiotic I feel. When it comes to lying, I'm not the best at it. I'm less than mediocre if anything. "Yeah. That, uh... must've slipped my mind aha..." One hand calmly inserts the USB to my laptop while the other tugs on my sweater over and over. It's a poor attempt to calm myself down, but it works a little. "Anyway, d-don't mind me; look at your work."

He gives me a small, curious look before turning back to his paper, and I exhale quietly in relief. "Alright. Back to the terrible, horrible, _treacherous_ math homework I go," he complains in a mutter.

I turn my attention to my laptop, staring at the buffering circle with way more intensity than needed. _Cute. He's cute. Brick is cute and we're on a date_. I try my hardest to clear these stupid intrusive thoughts from my head. I silently curse the voice; I don't know how the voice is doing this to me, but once I find out, I am going to make sure to make it feel as much embarrassment as I'm feeling right now.

Soon, the laptop is ready to use. My nerves feel calmer, too, which is a blessing. "All set. Pay attention up here, Holmes."

Eagerly, Brick drops his pencil and looks up at me. "To you Watson? Always."

I feel my cheeks begin to heat up. So much for my nerves. "No, you prick, to the video!" Before I could even think to stop myself, my fist flies out, landing directly on his upper arm. He makes no sound, but from the corner of my eye, I can see him wince slightly in pain. "Stop joking!"

Brick laughs it off. "Okay, okay, start it so we can investigate."

One of my fingers hit the space bar, bringing the video to life. The camera first shows an empty classroom, minus Bella the bunny. For a moment, I'm scared that I downloaded the wrong file. But then, I come to view, and I can't help the frown that comes on my face. The moment is quick, but one can clearly see me go into the cage, place the bunny in the school hallway, and fly away off-screen. When the video stops, it takes everything in me to not cry.

It can't be me doing that. It just can't. I would never... But the video shows otherwise.

"Go back to when ya got the bunny," Brick suddenly commands. "Right before ya place it down.

One of my eyebrows raises, but I begin to comply. "Alrighty then. Um... Here?" I tilt my head, hitting the spacebar on my laptop. The video freezes in place.

Brick nods his head. "Yeah, that should work. Now look closely. Ya see that?"

My eyes narrow as I look at what's on the screen. The view is slightly blurry, but I can see that it's a black and white picture of me facing slightly towards the front of the camera. My heart slightly cracks when I see that the bunny is in my hands, an evil smile on my face. "Just some proof that I'm a terrible student who doesn't care for animals..." I mutter in reply.

He shakes his head. "You're thinking too big. Hold on, lemme see if I can just..." His fingers fly to my keyboard, quickly typing. Soon, the screen zooms in more to my face. "Okay, there we go. _Now_, do ya see?"

It's hard not to see. "That's... me...?" I state the obvious in a confused tone.

"No, it's not. Ugh, how can ya somehow not recognize that this ain't you? Look!" Brick's finger points at the screen, specifically my cheek. "See the mark on your face?"

"Yeah..." My fingers gently grace my own cheek. "Hm. I didn't know I had a beauty mark there."

"See, that's the point. This fraud's got some 'ol beauty mark or whatever," he starts, gently poking my cheek. "but _you _don't. Ya face has got acne, sure, but no beauty mark. And that one on the fake's face is as big as day." He crosses his arms, a cocky look on his face. "Score 20 for Holmes and none for the other fuckers. I can tell that ain't my Watson from a mile away."

_My Watson. Cute. Date._ "Well, i-if that's not me, th-then who is it?" I force myself to say, pushing more thoughts away.

Brick taps his chin, humming for a bit. "That's where I'm stuck at. I 'unno. Ya got another sister out there somewhere? One that the old scientist dude ain't tell ya 'bout?"

"No... I mean, I don't think so?" I shake my head. It's possible that Professor could be hiding something, but that's pretty unlikely. "It wouldn't make sense. And I'm sure this can't be anybody from school. Not even you can pull off my bow like this, and you're my counterpart," I say as I point at the huge bow on the maybe-fraud's head.

I've never seen Brick look more insulted than I do now. "Uh, yeah I can! I can rock it better than you actually!"

Well, this is one challenge I can't ignore. "Oh yeah? Lemme see." Immediately, he snatches his cap off, and afterward, I place my bow on his head. The result is pretty hard to not laugh at. "No. This is _such_ a no," I giggle, struggling to keep my voice down.

Brick is not pleased by my reaction. "Hater. See, just for that, I'm keepin' it 'till we leave. You get the hat."

"...Fine," I decide, placing his hat on my head. It fits perfectly, but it feels weird. I bet I look better than him in my bow now, though. I don't need a mirror to confirm my theory.

"...Pfft. Looks dumb on you." His eyes shift back down to his work, and he scribbles some more numbers down. A part of me wants to punch him, but instead, I hear him out. "Back to the video, though," he says as he continues to write. "Ya think it could be, I 'unno, a clone of you or somethin'? Also, am I doin' this part here right?" He points to his work.

I take a quick glance at his paper. "You're using the wrong equation; use the first one we were given today. You're two steps ahead. Bennington wants to see every single step, even if you get the answer right."

"Great." He groans, and for once, I relate to him completely. I would love to just write down answers and get things over with, though I do respect our teacher for making the extra work required. Evidence is always needed to prove you got the right answer.

My mind shifts back to Brick's previous statement. "You said this could be clone...?" I ask slowly.

Brick nods. "Yeah. There's a shit ton of villains who could and would do that. I mean, just imagine this in a random villain's view."

He flips to a clean sheet of paper in his notebook. His hand speedily draws pictures all around it. They aren't masterpieces, but they are definitely better than stick figures.

"Okay, so I'm a villain. Well, not me, but like, just a random villain. I wanna defeat you, the hero, in every sense of the word. But either fightin' has a lower chance of ending in a win, or I'm better with tech in general. So I come up with a plan: clone the leader—the leader of a known superhero team—and I make ya do shitty things." Brick first points at the cute, quick picture of me in the center, then moves on to the different groups of people surrounding me, working down the line. "I start off small. Set a clone in school. Then a clone at home. Then in Townsville. Day by day, people's trust in ya just fades. She starts losing and losing until finally," he concludes, drawing a huge X over the entire picture, "that's it. Total world domination. There's a number of ways I can go about it; depends on materials. Either way, the end."

My whole body feels frozen. "...Shit..." I finally breathe out. It feels like I just watched the actual mastermind behind the crime map it out right in front of me. It's terrifying how quickly Brick can inspect things like this. He'd be a great officer or investigator if he decided. "That might be it, then."

Brick nods, then immediately gets back to working on his homework. "It would explain why this lil' fraud here has an error on her face. And ya say ya don't remember doin' it, right? Somethin' 'bout blackin' out? Drugs could be in play there."

_Clones. Drugs. _This is completely beyond me. "_Wow_." Everything hits me all at once, and every worry I have comes to the light. My eyes dash around. What if the villain is here, right now? What if I had ordered something and it was drugged with something that could've blacked me out... or worse? Nothing seems safe anymore. "Just like you said, plenty of villains could do this! How do we even go about this? There are so many routes we can follow. This can take ages! This could be more dangerous than we think! Right when we take one step forward, we take three steps back..."

"Ah ah. Overthinkin' is banned here, Watson." Brick lifts his pencil off his paper momentarily to flick me on top of the head. Before I could yell at him, he continues writing and speaking to me. "Stop fast forwardin'. This is good! We got some ideas floatin' around. Baby steps might seem small, but they're hella important 'cause ya gotta move somehow, right? We just gotta keep it up. And before long..." He sets his pencil down. Every answer is filled in. and from what I can see, everything is correct. He gestures to his work with his hands. "We'll get the solution," he concludes.

After he finishes, I feel a bit better. Not completely, but enough to get by. "...You're right," I admit.

Brick's head tilts slightly. "Right 'bout the questions or the inspirational speech?"

Oh yeah, his homework. I grab it from in front of him and read over it. Everything is perfect. With a little guidance, Brick is actually good at math; it's his hatred for Bennington that makes him despise the subject. "Both." I slide his paper back to him.

His eyes shine brightly in pride. "Sweet! Take that Benny!" I roll my eyes. He really doesn't like that man at all... "And well, trust in your Holmes and I'll trust in my Watson. Got it?"

Just like always, Brick holds his hand out to me, and just like always, I grab and shake it. He gives me a determined look. At this point, this whole action feels like nature.

...Hanging out and speaking with Brick felt like nature...

I let out a breathless, shaky laugh. "Ah, I, yeah, it is what I most certainly do got!" Both Brick and I probably share the same expression: complete and utter confusion at my jumbled up sentence. However, I'm quick on feet to change the subject, snatching my sweaty hand away. "Oh wow, I just remembered: I have to... help... Professor... with uh... cook...?"

Brick raises an eyebrow. "You sound like you're questioning that. Are ya lyin' to me?" He smirks.

"N... No!" I shake my head at the speed of sound.

"Yeah, ya are. But it's cool." Brick easily calls my bluff. He closes his notebook and stuffs it in his bag along with his pencil. "I think I got it anyway. The homework, I mean. That video's still buggin' me, but at least there's a high chance that it definitely ain't you in it. I'm gonna think on it more, see if I can come up with some theories soon."

I blink in shock. He didn't even question why I lied. He just... accepted it with no questions. "Oh. Well. Great. Same." Finding words is proving to be very hard. Before I could make myself into more of a fool, I quickly pack my things away. "Anyways, uh, see you in school tomorrow. And... Thank you for today. You really eased some of my worries." I make sure to zip my bag closed.

"Yeah. No prob." He slides out of the booth.

I follow suit. "Okay. Aha, well, I'll just be... going now..."

Brick takes off his hat from my head, then takes my bow from his head, placing it back on me. It feels lopsided but good enough. "See ya tomorrow, teach," he says as he begins to put on his jacket.

I don't even bother to put on mine. I'll sacrifice a shiver or two just to escape this scene. Instead, I place my book bag over my shoulders and tie the jacket on my waist as I speed to the door. "See ya tomorrow, Brick!" I shout over my shoulder, using one foot to open the door before walking out.

The farther I get away from the cafe, the faster I go. Soon, I'm in this sort of position where I'm not technically running, but it's a little faster than a typical jog. My hands shake and my neck feels tight, but I keep on moving ahead.

"_Smooth exit,_" the voice teases.

I can feel the scowl on my face. Every time the voice enters my mind, my skin turns ice cold. It's like when you get the chills during a terrible sickness. No matter how many times you try to warm yourself up, you just... can't.

A sigh enters my head. "_Ah, I see. You're still ignoring me. That hurts._"

As if that weren't obvious enough. I clutch my bookbag, taking a turn towards another street. All around, there are many sounds. Cars beep, adults chat, and children laugh their cares away. Everything is normal.

"Y_ou're treading a dangerous path, Blossom Utonium. I know what you're thinking at all times, so I know you're doing this on purpose. So, ANSWER ME._"

Despite the fact that my mind continues to run with many panicked thoughts, my eyes turn to a tree whose leaves were starting to fall down for the season, and I can't help but give it a wobbly smile. _Don't answer him._ I keep thinking that over and over as I continue my walk home. Even when the sky suddenly turns grey, when the sidewalk disappears and is replaced with piles and piles of what looks like blood, when it's somehow deathly quiet all at once except the looming voice, I continue on. My eyes begin to burn, my stomach flips like a gymnast, and my nerves in my hands refuse to calm down.

This is only an illusion. It gets worse the more you think about it. I've been through worse things than illusions throughout my life. One more situation isn't going to kill me, no matter how much my body thinks otherwise.

"_Ha. Ahaha. AHAHAHA._" The voice explodes into manic laughter, causing me to freeze in place. The air grows cold, and the leaves blow all around me, trapping me inside them. My heart feels as though it's stuck in my throat as I watch the leaves take shape, turning to... someone. Someone I know. Someone I should know. Deep down, I know them, and yet, I can't put my finger on who it is. I take a step back, but the leaves grab a hold of me and force me to look at the mysterious figure above. "_I get it now. You're _underestimating _me. To think I was going to give you an advantage in our game._" The voice makes a 'tsk' sound."_You've forgotten your place. Well, let's remind you just who you're dealing with, Blossom Utonium._"

I couldn't take it anymore. I open my mouth, ready to answer him, and even then, I don't know what I could say. But I know that it's too late, far too late. A part of me knew that the moment he entered back in my head. He was—_is_—angry with me. And now I have to pay the price. I brace myself, unsure with what was awaiting me...

And then everything went black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N Merry Christmas Eve...? Is that what you say? I've never heard anyone say it, aha.
> 
> Look at me! 5 months in a row, still going strong... First-year college Scin is quaking in her boots right now seeing how I'm thriving. Kind of a late-ish update, but it's still a December update nonetheless.
> 
> Currently, I'm on break and back in my home state (I go to college hours away from my city)! My college has a January semester, but I'll be spending it at home since I've got an internship here, so that means more free time for me all the way until the beginning of February. Now, I might be able to A) update twice this month, B) update twice next month or C) update another chapter of my other fanfic Beneath the Surface (which I would appreciate if you guys would read it). I don't know what I'll do yet. It depends on how I feel, aha. But if you guys have any suggestions, feel free to review them!
> 
> Once again, thank you for the reviews, favs, and follows! I'm very glad you guys are enjoying the story thus far and I appreciate all that I receive. The next chapter... Well, it'll be a ride... Ahahaha... ha... Nah but for real, stay tuned for the next update! :)


	7. Stronger

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Work it harder, make it better, do it faster, makes us stronger-

_ **Chapter 7: Stronger** _

"Welcome back to my office, Blossom Utonium."

My body jerks forward, and it takes everything in me to not puke my guts out. I can't help but look around the room frantically, hands clutched on the arms of the comfortable red chair I'm sitting on. It's the same old principal's office with the same fancy furniture. Compared to the darkness, it's kind of comforting yet kind of unfamiliar.

Mr. Man continues to speak, seeming to not notice how shaken up I am. "I could ask you why you did what you did, but even that wouldn't be enough, now would it young lady?" Mr. Man swirls the spoon in his bright red 'Best Dad' mug, giving me a curious look.

"I..." My mouth opens and closes, but words refuse to escape me. In addition to the fact that I have no idea what Mr. Man is talking about, I'm honestly too scared to say much. The voice's power keeps a tight grip on me, practically suffocating me. I'm near the point of passing out again.

Mr. Man sighs, shaking his head. "Honestly Ms. Utonium. I am very disappointed in you. The prior principal talked so highly of you... but still, I've yet to see you shine."

Well, ouch. That hurt. Not as much as my head, which feels like it's splitting in two, but still, it hurt.

"The next time you do something like this, you're getting expelled. This type of behavior will _not _be tolerated." Mr. Man leans forward, his eyes staring into my very soul. My heart, which already feels out of my chest, lodges its way to my throat. "I'd put you in detention, but that seems too easy for you. Instead, I'm requiring you to complete some hours of school service. I believe working during the Winter Snowball should suffice, correct?"

I have absolutely no idea what type of behavior he's talking about, but there's nothing more I can do other than going with the motions. Silently, I nod my head, swallowing down my urge to argue that no, I didn't do a single thing, nothing is my fault, and I haven't had control over myself in what feels like ages.

Mr. Man nods his head in approval. "It's settled then. You may leave." He shoos me away with a flick of his wrist, not giving me a second glance.

I've never felt more ridiculous, humiliated, and pitiful as I leave the principal's office. And just as I start to think that there was absolutely no way this could get worse, I see Buttercup's face from across the hall. She looks _pissed. _Not the funny type of pissed, the type where she'll try to look pissed but deep down, she's laughing. No, she looked like she wanted to destroy buildings. And when she looked at me, that look increased tenfold. That's when I knew that somehow, it was my fault.

"Buttercup, wait!" I shout, running towards her.

But she doesn't wait. She just marches away, not even turning to give me so much a glance. Even though my brain argues with me, I stop trying to chase her. All around, students nosily travel the halls, most making whispered remarks about me, about how bad I've gotten this school year. It's become somewhat of a norm at this point, so it doesn't affect me so much anymore. I'm more broken by the fact that my sister is refusing to talk to me, refusing to even turn in my direction.

"She's really upset with you." I hear somebody say behind me. I turn to face Bubbles, who also looks not so happy. Great. "And honestly, I am too. I _just_ forgave you. And then you do this? What is _wrong_ with you?"

_What is wrong with you? _Those words come and hit me harder than anybody ever could with their physical hand. "But I don't even know what's going on—" I start.

"Just... stop. Stop with the excuses." Bubbles shakes her head. "I don't know what's going on with you, but ever since you've been hanging around Brick, you've been different. And not a good different."

"Brick?" The thoughts in my brain freeze. "Wait, are you blaming this on _Brick_?" My blood slightly boils at that. Sure, Brick is annoying and all, but for once, he didn't do anything.

"Well..." Bubbles drags on. One index finger twirls in her hair, an indication that I was right; she just didn't want to say it. "I mean, you can't deny that you've gotten close. I mean, a date with him? Really?"

It takes everything in me to not groan loudly. _Date. _I'm so sick of that damn word. "Oh my— that was not a date! Where did you even hear that?" I ask, crossing my arms.

"It's hard _not _to hear. People have been talking about you. I have no choice but to listen and look at you and just... understand. I understand what they're saying. It's not good at all." Her eyes bore into mine, and I want to look away. She looks like she's more pissed then pitiful. "And you got detention. You _never_ get detention."

I thought we resolved that, but I guess these solutions go down the drain when your body does something bad, even if you don't know about it. "But that was my fault, not his!" I retort. In a way, I was telling the truth.

Even if I didn't know it, and even though Brick was the one muttering to me, I was still talking aloud that day, and it was that action that caused me to get detention. Brick just intellectually adjusted his plan to my own idiocy.

Bubbles still looks like she doesn't believe me. I grip the end of my sweater. "Bubbles, listen to me. Brick isn't... he hasn't been... Ugh, it doesn't matter." I stop myself before I can even continue this part of the conversation. I refuse to let my personal emotions get in the way of all of this because I know if I keep rambling, I'll say something that will shock even me. "You know I'd never be influenced by a villain and do harmful things," I say instead, hoping that she'll see my point of view, see that I really am telling the truth.

However, Bubbles just lets out a sigh and shakes her head. "No. I don't know that. Not anymore." She bites her lip, unsure of how to continue. "You're... You're _hurting _people, Blossom. People who care about you. Buttercup and I _care _about you, so, so much. But you're acting like you don't care about us. And that fucking stings."

_That fucking stings. _If there's one thing Bubbles is good at, it's making me feel like a piece of shit. She's giving me a look that's similar to Professor's face whenever the girls and I get in trouble. It's terrifying and saddening at the same time. She doesn't even look like she wants to see me ever again... and I don't blame her. I don't know what I did, but I can't blame her when she looks this hurt.

We stand in silence for a while. By now, a crowd has formed around us. The whispers continue, and each one sends another tear in my eye just ready to spill. I'm just about ready to try another excuse when Bubbles speaks up. "I'm... I'm going to rehearsal. I'll see you home, okay?" she mumbles, refusing to look me in the eye.

_No, not okay._ Nothing is okay. "...Okay," I find myself saying quietly, all my energy gone. But Bubbles has already stepped away before I could even get the word out.

Crying in school isn't a first for me. I've done it so many times from stress, from other people's words, from tests gone wrong and days gone terrible. As the tears fall from my eyes, the crowd disperses, probably from being awkward with crying. I imagine this would be the part in a movie where the girl runs away, arm over her eyes, but I don't have the energy to do all of that. Instead, I let my body take over with its usual routine: head to my locker, slug on my bookbag and close it with a sigh. I don't even check for homework. For once, I don't think it's very important.

"Blossy!"

The sound of Brick's voice from down the hall is kind of a mixture of fresh air and clouded annoyance. This just wasn't the time. But before I could make a sneaky escape, he's already in my face, rambling away as he messily grabs his things from his locker.

"Hey, what the heck was up with ya earlier? I mean, I know I annoy the shit outta ya, but ignorin' me for the whole day? That ain't like you. Ya even ignored the _teachers. _It was like you were in... a trance..." Brick gets a good look at my face, and he stops. His voice drops to a whisper only he and I can hear. "Hey, ya good or...?" Awkwardly, he tugs on the strap of his own bag.

"What did I do?" I ask straightforwardly. If there's somebody who will be real with me now, it's Brick... and that says a lot since I'm pretty sure he hates me.

Brick is silent for a moment, probably debating if he should spill. Then he sighs. "_You _didn't do shit. I know that wasn't you. Couldn't have been, even if it looked like you." His nose wiggles a bit before he speaks up. "The gym is frozen solid from floor to ceiling. You just... After last period, you sped off and did that. It's still frozen and uh..."

He doesn't have to finish his thought. "And there was a game today..." I groan out, the whole situation dawning on me. "Oh _no_." No wonder Buttercup was so mad. I'd be mad too if I were coaching a team for the first time just for that to happen!

"But don't worry! The teachers found a way to get it melted, even though I told 'em my fire breath could make it faster. Somethin' 'bout me bein' a tyrant, but whatever. And I mean, you're in one piece, right? You're not in detention right now, so that's good." Brick shrugs.

I let out a sigh. "Yeah, because the principal thinks detention is too easy for me. I have to help with Winter Snowball."

Brick raises an eyebrow. "Gonna assume that's not a literal snowball that ya get from the ground. What's that?"

I look around, then point at the nearest flyer I see. "Winter Snowball," I repeat. "It's a dance the school hosts every winter before the break. Huge tradition. I never go to it because dances are overrated, but I guess I gotta go this year to help out." I can't help but grimace at the thought. In addition to all the mess I have to go through now, adding a dance feels like things are ten times worse, even though it's not the biggest thing in the world.

"Ugh. It just looks lame from the flyer alone." Brick looks like he wants to barf a bit, and I can't help but let out a tiny laugh at that. "Well, think 'bout it like this. Since I'm goin'—"

"_Really_?" I ask in shock, but Brick keeps going.

"I'll let ya be my date." With a cheeky grin, he slings his arms around my shoulders, pulling me close. "Think 'bout it Blossy. Us two, dancin' the night away. Gets ya girly head all excited, don't it?"

I don't even have the energy to tell him how wrong he is. That word... _Date_. It reminded me of Bubbles and Buttercup. It reminded me that everything is my fault. My stomach churns at all the thoughts crashing in my head. It's so hard to go about my day when I've upset my sisters. Their disdain for me overtakes the voice that still lies deep within my mind.

I shrug off Brick's arm, suddenly feeling drained. "... I'm going home," I mutter.

Brick looks lost. Of course, he does. He doesn't get what this whole thing is doing to me. "What? Why? We haven't even talked about the case yet. Actually, now that I mention it, I think I've found—"

"Oh, screw the case." This whole investigation keeps making things worse and worse. There was no point focusing on something that only brought pain to both me and others. "I don't care anymore. People will keep thinking everything is my fault, and it's fine. I'll just bear the burden."

Brick sighs, shaking his head. "Okay, this must be one of your overthinkin' episodes again. Lemme get my speech ready." Dramatically, he clears his throat, unrolling an invisible scroll.

However, I stop him before he can get a word out. "Not needed."

Brick lets out a small laugh through his nose. "You don't mean that."

"You talk like you know me. You don't know me. Nobody does." I can't even look Brick in the eye. I don't know what part of me is speaking, but I can't stop it. "Why do you even care, anyway? I know this is just one of your plans to attack, or even worse, kill me. I'm not stupid."

"Just 'cause I wanna fight ya all the time don't mean I'mma fight ya now. I clearly haven't done it this whole time; it'd be dumb to just turn on ya like that." Brick rolls his eyes as if what he said made any type of sense. "Anyway, I just wanna tell ya 'bout—"

"I don't care!" My voice comes out louder than expected, and I can feel my hands burn as they grip onto the straps of my book bag. "The investigation is off. Stay the hell away from me, Brick Jojo. I mean that."

With my head held high, I march towards the exit. Brick doesn't bother to chase after me. And I don't know why my heart hurts a bit more because of that, but it does.

* * *

Professor is already at the door when I arrive home. Without a word, I fly up the stairs into his room and sit on his bed. It's a habit. When I have my absolute worst days, I just come in here and sit down. Professor knows how to make everything okay. He's the smartest man I know, and more than that, he cares for me. I need some caring right now, even if it's just a little bit.

"Can I sit in here?" I ask as I see his feet appear in front of me. I'm too exhausted to actually look up at him, but I know he looks just as upset as I do. "Just for a little while."

"Yes, of course, darling." He says it with no hesitation. Sitting down next to me, he places a gentle hand on my shoulder that feels more like tiny knives. "Do you... want to talk about what happened in school today?" Of course Professor heard the news. Honestly, I'd be surprised if the school didn't call him.

_"Don't say yes." _The voice enters into my ear like a terrible sickness that refuses to go away no matter how hard I try. I'm instantly nauseous from the sound of it alone._ "Or do you want to overspill like you did with your favorite Rowdyruff? Do you want to be in even more mess? Because I'll make it happen. That's not just a threat." _The voice lets out a cackle that causes me to jump slightly_. "It's a promise."_

I wanted to talk about it. Really, I did. Professor is my dad, and he always understands me no matter what. He would want me to confide in him.

"...No." I place my shaking hands in my lap and stare forward at the wall ahead of me.

_"Good girl." _Just like that, the voice fades. Its energy is still there though, still lurking and watching me throughout most of my day.

Professor lets out a quiet sigh, combing his fingers through his black hair. "Alright." He didn't sound like he believed me, but he didn't pry. "But just know that I'm always here for you, Blossom. Forever and always. Okay?"

Tears begin to form in my eyes, but I stop them from falling. I hate that word. _Okay_. When life seemed to be falling apart, 'okay' comes in to make it just a little bit worse with its false promises of everything being fine. But it's also the only thing I can say. "Okay," I whisper back, afraid that if I talk just a bit louder, everything would spill out like a dam.

* * *

I don't notice it's nighttime until I'm sitting up in my bed as my sisters sleep soundly. The day went by like a blur. I'm think I ate—my stomach feels full enough—but I'm sure I didn't do any amount of homework. It's the first time in a long time.

My shoulder slump as I look down and stare at my diary that's lying on my lap. The poor, depressing diary that only has such sad, pathetic things in it. A small part of me wants to write in it again, but I know there's no need to put it in even more misery.

I slip it under my pillow, then plop my head on top of it. Orange strands of my hair fall all over the place, but I don't have the energy to wrap it up like usual. All I can do is close my eyes and try to ignore the heavy weight in my chest. Sleep won't happen soon, but it'll come soon enough.

But then I feel hands around my mouth.

I don't even let out a scream as I'm hoisted up. Honestly, it's not the scariest thing that's happened to me, not by a long shot. But I can't help but open my eyes in shock. I'm surprised to see myself floating in the air at top speed.

The mysterious person who's holding me pulls me a bit closer. "I'm gonna let go of ya mouth. Just _don_'t yell," a voice grumbles out, a very familiar voice. "Otherwise, people 'round here will wake up and call the cops. Don't need to deal with 'em today; it took forever to get Bob offa my back last Tuesday for littering."

I almost choke on my spit seeing that familiar red cap adorned on that familiar fire-orange hair from the corner of my eye. "_Brick?!_" I shout as soon as his hands escape my mouth.

Brick winces, probably by the volume of my voice. "That's _Sherlock _to you," he corrects. His lips are in a serious line, very different from his usual demeanor. "Ya wouldn't listen to me earlier. I fuckin' _hate _when people don't listen to me. Ya know this, Watson."

Oh, not this bullshit again. I'm not in the mood for the whole Sherlock and Watson act we played. That was just a little game; there was no need to play it anymore now. I let out a growl, attempting to break away from him. "Let _go—_"

But Brick is quick on his feet. His grip increases, and try as I might, I can't get him off. Stubbornly, he huffs out some air. "_No_. Ugh, you're so lucky you're pretty; I would've just dropped ya otherwise."

I blink, holding in a gasp. "I'm pretty?" I ask instead, wondering if I heard wrong.

"Duh, dummy! And it's annoying. Almost distracting really." He answers it like it was obvious. Before I can even process my whirling stomach and heated cheeks, he's rambling on, letting go of me. My flying looks a little bit awkward, probably because he just called me _pretty_ of all words and it's still settling in my brain. "Anyways!" he exclaims. "I found out whose signature it was on those forms from way back in the principal's office."

"What?" I ask in shock, but he doesn't stop to hear me fully. Honestly, throughout everything going on, I completely forgot about that. It seemed like so long ago since we were sneaking around in the principal's office.

"I was tryin' to tell ya earlier, but ya went ahead and started that sob story. Ah well, at least now we have total privacy. Our first ever midnight rendevous." He lets out a laugh, his nose wiggling slightly.

"Ugh. Don't call it that." I shove him lightly. A feeling of familiarity spreads over me. It somehow lifts my spirits, just a little bit.

Brick just smirks. "Shhh, talking," he chuckles, ignoring my glare. "Gonna be honest with ya, babe," he continues, stuffing his hands into his red jacket, "we're both dumbasses. Well, more me than you, but still, dumbasses."

"Hey!" My glare deepens, and I cross my arms. I can feel a pout on my lips.

Brick just shakes his head. "No, for real. When you see, you'll immediately feel stupid as fuck. I know I did."

I don't believe him. Sure, I can miss things, but I would never label myself as a 'dumbass.' But as we arrive at our destination, a familiar home, I get this strange feeling. And when we fly in and I see that familiar tail on that familiar monkey of a body, I automatically feel like, well, a dumbass.

My hands hold my face as I let out an aggravated groan. This was so obvious, and I definitely should have seen this coming, but of course, my judgment was clouded by distractions. "...Mojo Jojo," I breathe out. "_Ugh_."

Brick gives me a knowing smirk. "See? Told ya." His feet dash across the slippery floor as he approaches Mojo Jojo. The monkey is tied up securely, hanging from a tied post on the ceiling. "Hey again, Pops. How's it, uh, hangin'?" he jokes, poking Mojo's leg.

I hold back a giggle. That shouldn't have been as funny as I thought it was at that moment.

Bitterly, Mojo laughs. "Oh, ha ha. Very funny, Brick." Wow, that's one of the shortest lines I've ever heard from him...

"Thanks." With a sarcastic smile on his face, Brick floats in the air, looking Mojo right in the eyes. "Now you're gonna answer our questions or else. Got it?"

Mojo forwns. "Curses. I can't believe you, Brick Jojo, my very own _son_, the smartest son I have, is betraying me to obtain answers both for and with a Powerpuff Girl, the _leader _at that, our shared sworn enem—OW!" Mojo's glare turns deadly the moment Brick hits him on the shoulder. "Curses! What was that for?"

"'Cause ya won't shut up! This is exactly why we moved out." Brick turns, purposely whipping his hair enough to hit Mojo in the face. He snickers at Mojo's grumbles, flying back to me. "Now go on, Bloss," he says, pushing me towards the monkey, "interrogate him."

I nod, determination flowing through me. "Right." With a deep exhale, I float up to Mojo. I'm not necessarily prepared for this, but I let the question flow out before I could properly think. "You sold our school cameras?"

"Yes, I did! These cameras are top of the line, limited edition, the best on the market—" Mojo starts.

I don't have time for his consistent rambling, not today. I already had to deal with Brick's—and _wow, _I am now just realizing that rambling trait must be a father-son thing—and that is more than enough rambling for me. "Yes or no," I interrupt him.

"...Yeah."

"Did those cameras have any function that would falsely portray my actions?"

"No. They're just cameras. They do what any other camera does, but with the best quality that will show every feature on anybody's face."

I cross my arms. "You're lying." Mojo's one where you have to call out his bluff sometimes, even if you weren't confident about him being truthful or not. I decided to take that chance.

Mojo smirks. "Ah, young Blossom, you wish I was. But I was not! I was just doing some innocent business."

"Okay, Mr. 'Innocent Business.' Who hired you?"

"Smart question, Ms. Utonium. Smarter answer: with your big brain, I'm sure you can guess who I, Mojo Jojo, am working with at your school."

"Principal Man," I mutter to myself. I already knew that, but I think a part of me wanted to deny it since I couldn't make sense of it. "Why, though? Why from _you_ specifically?" I ask.

"I could answer that, but I will not! Besides, it would be better to ask him that, don't you think?" Mojo responds vaguely.

I hate to admit it, but Mojo Jojo is right. At the same time, I wonder _how _I could do that. Principal Man is in no mood to see me, and deep down, I don't feel completely safe having a meeting with him alone. I don't even want to ask Brick to help me out with that; he's helped me enough throughout all of this, and him in the equation would only bring out some form of violence.

"Now, what are you going to do now, hm?" Mojo's question brings me out of my thoughts, and I turn to listen to him. "Rat me out to the police? Send me to jail again?" His face is covered with his evil smile. "You have no proof. Sure, that is my signature for camera systems of which I have skillfully built with my very own two hands, but as I have already said, that was business and business only. Where is the evil intent I have that you so boldly claim? Otherwise, this is only an assumption."

On one side, it'd be easy to just say that Mojo Jojo is evil, so of course, every action he does involves evil. But on the other hand, he's right. I hate to admit it, but he's making some points; I _am_ assuming he's done the worst.

Brick huffs, cutting through the slight silence. "Nah, he's right. We don't got shit on him that shows he was in it for evil purposes."

Brick's blunt honesty leaves a cold chill through my body. Somehow, I thought that maybe, just maybe, there'd be some clever way around this, but it looks like life didn't want to throw that sort of prize my way.

"But ya know what?" Brick continues. "We don't need to put ya in jail. No need for cops, either. You're just gonna stay with me and the boys. A nice 'ol family reunion includin' a nice 'ol family interrogation." He pinches Mojo's cheeks. "You taught me best, right Pops? Avoid the feds if possible? Well, I'm doin' it now." Brick bats his eyelids, a huge (and, somehow, cute) smile on his face. "Do I make ya proud?" he asks in an innocent voice.

"...Somewhat, yes," Mojo replies slowly, a glare on his face.

Brick pinches Mojo a little harder, causing the monkey to wince in pain. "Ah, ya raised me well!" Brick exclaims.

I can only watch silently as Brick unties then lifts Mojo up like he weighs nothing. There's something that seems so morally wrong with this... but if Mojo Jojo is one of the reasons I've been incapable of controlling my body, then I'm going to let this slide, just this once.

"C'mon Bloss," Brick calls behind his shoulder, floating towards the window we entered, "let's bounce."

The quiet of the night greets us. Townsville is covered in streetlights that help guide the way as we soar through the air. When we finally reach an old cabin deep within the woods, Mojo speaks up to me.

"You might have stopped me now, and you might have swindled my son with your _girly charms_ and your _pretty_ _voice_," he says in a high pitched, teasing voice, and I see Brick visibly cringe and blush at that, "but this is not the end of me, Mojo Jojo, the future supreme leader of Townsville! And just know Blossom Utonium, that principal of yours..." His eyes meet mine, and for some strange reason, I sense a mixture of cockiness and fear in them, as if he were somewhat afraid of what he was going to say to me but was putting up a strong front. "He's bigger than both of us," he says simply.

I don't know if I shiver from the cold or his voice, but either way, I feel a chill run through my entire body. I open my mouth to speak up, probably yell at him to stop the pathetic excuse for teasing and just spill out what's going on, but Brick interrupts me.

"Shut up, old man!" With one kick, Brick knocks Mojo through the open entrance and into the house. "Pops is home, boys; give him a 'nice' meeting!" he shouts loudly.

Never thought I'd see the day, but I feel very bad for Mojo Jojo. Not bad enough to go help him—once again, I can never forgive him for potentially being a slight cause to my pain over these few months—but bad enough to feel sorry for him.

"Well, that's that I guess…" I say slowly, choosing to ignore the celebratory chanting from Boomer and Butch along with Mojo's screams of terror. "Uh, guess I'll see you tomo—"

All of a sudden, Brick punches me into a tree. _Hard_.

A branch falls onto my head and the leaves get stuck in my hair, but I can't focus on anything other than Brick's glare. It's like nothing I've ever seen before, and he's glared at me a lot. In all honesty, I didn't see this coming. Funny, since I was predicting it the entire time, but the one moment I truly let my guard down, Brick attacks. Smart.

Brick breaks the silence. "You don't get to throw in the towel, Blossom. Not anymore." Okay, now _this _was surprising. He sounds serious, like a parent scolding a child. With a growl, he folds his arms over his chest. "I made a deal with ya. I don't do that much, and the few I've made, I've seen through to the end. If you can get me to work with ya, you can do anything, including findin' out who's doin' all this. You gotta lean on me, just like I lean on you."

Brick's words hit me deeper than his punch did to my gut. Something in my mind clicks at that moment. Brick _believes _in me. He doesn't have to, and it kind of looks like he doesn't even want to, but he does. He has been with me throughout this whole crazy adventure without a second thought while I just… keep doubting everything around me. And while I go to him for constant validation, he doesn't need any.

He's confident in this, or at the very least putting up a really good confident front. I have to be confident, too, not just for him, but for me.

I inhale, then let out a shaky exhale. "You really think that?" I ask, my eyes burning.

Brick rolls his eyes, but his lips slide into his familiar smirk. "I _know _it, 'cause ya know, I'm smart and all, and smart people ain't wrong 'bout anything." He walks up to me and sticks his hand out.

"Heh…" I wipe the incoming tears from my eyes quickly before accepting Brick's hand, boosting myself to my feet. "You are smart, Brick. Smarter than me sometimes," I admit with a smile.

Brick's smirk gets wider. "Damn straight I am. Also, next time, I won't punch ya so lightly, and I won't give ya a speech. That's the last one, got it?" He playfully punches me in the stomach, a painful yet efficient reminder. I nod my head in understanding. "Good. I'll go question Pops some more, see if he's still hidin' something. 'Til then, think 'bout what we can do 'bout that principal guy. I don't trust him."

"Agreed." I shake my head, letting the leaves fall from my hair to the ground. There's no way I got them all, but I'm a bit too tired to care. I float into the air, giving Brick one last look. "See you, Brick. I'll… I'll be stronger. No more bullshit."

"That's what I like to hear." It looks like Brick's face melts into a sincere smile, one that makes my cheeks burn. "G'night Blossom." He only gives me a simple wave before entering his house and slamming the door, Mojo's screams finally lowering down in volume.

* * *

When I fly back into my bedroom, it's well past midnight and my sisters are still sleeping. I scurry into my bed, wrapping myself under the comforter. I sigh in relief at the warmth that begins to spread through my body. Then, my hands travel under my pillow and pull back up my diary along with a nearby pen.

I pause, thinking about my words carefully. Strangely, for the first time in forever, I don't feel the voice's presence. It's just me and my own thoughts, unable to be corrupted. This feels like a once in a lifetime chance, and it could slip away in seconds.

I only have a few things I want to say. I grab my pen, open to a fresh, new page, and write as quickly as I can.

_Dear diary,_

_It's been a while, but I'm back. No more playing games. Whoever the hell is doing this, I'm going to—_

* * *

"No," I mutter aloud, shaking my head. I erase the sentence, hurriedly rewriting it.

* * *

_Brick and I are going to stop them no matter what. _

_Sincerely,_

_Blossom Utonium_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N An update for Beneath the Surface last month meant that I also had to update this story for this month, my first fanfic child (on this profile), my metaphorical baby... that I forgot about. It has been almost half a year, wow. My monthly streak might be broken, and I will most likely never recover fully from that, but I am still going to find a way to finish this!
> 
> I wanted to update this towards the beginning of the month, but things happen, like world issues and issues with my computer. So, I'm sorry for the wait, but I'm back and ready to show you guys more plot!
> 
> I feel as though I'm around the end of the story. I'm predicting around... Three chapters left. Crazy, right? This is truly the farthest I've ever gotten and I'm just really proud of me for keeping up with this idea.
> 
> I don't have much else to say other thank that you for reading/commenting if you have thus far and I hope to see you in the next chapter! I don't think I can do monthly updates anymore, but I can try at least :)


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